


A Protector and A Hero

by MarvelMerlin



Series: DBH Superhero/Vigilante AU [1]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Carl Manfred & Markus Parent-Child Relationship, Carl's everyone's father figure tbh, Elijah Kamski & Gavin Reed are Siblings, Elijah Kamski is an ASSHOLE, Found Family, Gavin and Tina and Chris are vigilantes, Has a few RWRB references too, Its all very gay, M/M, Markus and Simon and Connor and Niles are heroes with powers, Vigilante AU, established simarkus, has a lot of Detroit: Evolution references, non-explicit but still present sex, super villain elijah, superhero au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:00:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 38,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26036050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarvelMerlin/pseuds/MarvelMerlin
Summary: Gavin Reed has been a vigilante for years. Niles Stern has been a hero for a year. Neither of them knows what the other is doing as their night jobs, and both of them remain cold and distant as they work at the DPD as partners. Then an attempt is made on Carl Manfred's life, and the two teams realize they know each other from their day jobs, and most of them are friends.Except for Gavin and Niles, who both want to be more. So much more.
Relationships: Chris Miller & Gavin Reed, Cole Anderson & Gavin Reed, Connor & Josh & Markus & North & Simon (Detroit: Become Human), Connor & Markus (Detroit: Become Human), Connor & North (Detroit: Become Human), Hank Anderson & Connor, Markus/Simon (Detroit: Become Human), Tina Chen & Chris Miller & Gavin Reed, Tina Chen & Gavin Reed, Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Series: DBH Superhero/Vigilante AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1889902
Comments: 3
Kudos: 54





	1. Protector, Hunter, and Seeker

**Author's Note:**

> This fic, in its entirety, was written in 5 days. It's a lot. Definitely would've taken longer without Emrys (oswiniarty) beta reading it literally as I wrote it. They're responsible for getting me into this fandom in the first place.

Superpowers are rare, with only 4 known cases across all of time. Then, suddenly, there was a spike. Four showed up at the same time, in the same city, doubling the existing number. Nines, 800, PL and their leader rA9 all surfaced on the same day, saving the city of Detroit from a series of bombings. They were lauded as defenders of the people by the mayor, governor, and even the president.

Gavin tried not to feel overlooked. He and his friends had only been protecting the people of the city with their blood sweat and tears for twenty years. The DPD was corrupt to hell, so much so that the external review and the FBI had insisted on sending in their watchdogs. So now getting the shit they needed out of evidence lockup to fix what the DPD had fucked was harder. 

Gavin Reed had been brought in by Hank and Fowler, possibly the only two non-corrupt cops in the whole force. Now he served his city publicly and privately. He glared at his new FBI-issued partner, Niles. He and Hank’s new partner were twins; the only way to tell them apart was that Niles was 2 inches taller than Connor, and the two of them had heterochromia opposite to each other. Niles’ left eye was blue with just a touch of green around the pupil and his right was brown with golden flecks throughout. 

Not that he’d paid that much attention to Niles Stern or his outrageously beautiful eyes. Or his perfectly soft hands. Or his perfect fucking hair. Or the fact that he had a small scar on his bottom lip that Gavin wanted to run his finger over, just once.

“You done thirsting over your partner yet?” Tina’s voice broke through, and he’d realized he’d been staring through the break room window at Niles. Again.

“Is he ever?” Chris added, sipping his coffee.

“I do not _thirst,_ I despise from a distance.” Gavin replied, flicking a pretzel stick at each of his friends. “Who does the FBI think they are, assigning the watchdogs to us?”

“You are literally the only one of us who pretends to despise their partner. Simon’s great. He and Markus brought cookies for us today,” Tina added. “Plus they both brought fancy-ass wine for mine and Vanessa’s house warming party. I looked it up, it’s like, 800 bucks a bottle.”

“And Markus handles all the publicity shit. He fuckin’ loves it. Hank’s stopped drinking as much since Connor showed up. You know that.” Chris added.

Gavin rolled his eyes. If he was the only one who saw the new additions on recommendation from the FBI as what they truly were, that wasn’t his problem. They were here to watch them, even though they were the last people that should be watched.

Yes, maybe more evidence from their cases went missing on average, but only because they needed it for their night jobs. Detroit wasn’t gonna clean up itself, and the DPD was in no hurry to help, tied up in bureaucratic bullshit and conspiracy.

“Well, your break’s up, heart-eyes. Get back to your desk before Fowler has to give you another demerit.” 

“Tina, I love you. Shut up.” Gavin said, refilling his coffee and heading back to his desk opposite Niles’.

“Detective Reed, lovely of you to join me. I’ve narrowed the list of witnesses and statements based on CCTV footage, as well as usefulness. I’ve forwarded the complete list of statements to you, however, with my comments annotated in the sidelines.”

“Why the hell are you so formal. Talk like a fucking person, please.” 

“Apologies, Detective Reed. I will make a better effort in the future.”

Gavin grumbled, “Nevermind.” 

He dove into the witness statements, disregarding Niles’ notations. 

It took him hours to get through all of the statements and by the end, he wanted to dig his eyeballs out with a spoon. 

Markus and Connor approached the detectives’ shared desk area just as he was wrapping up his own notes. Each of them sat on the desk on either side of Niles, looking at him expectantly.

“Ah, yes.” Niles cleared his throat, “Detective Reed, a family friend of ours is having a gallery opening tomorrow and we were asked to invite our partners.”

Gavin looked up with a furrowed brow. “Uh, why?”

“Cause my father shows an interest in my life and the lives of my friends. He wants to meet our DPD partners,” Markus supplied, much less formal than Niles ever was.

“Lieutenant Anderson, Detective Miller, and Detective Chen have already accepted. Niles was supposed to have asked you last week.” Connor added, sending a quick glare in his brother’s direction.

“Don’t feel the need to accept if you feel uncomfortable-”

“Sure, why not. I’ll go,” Gavin interrupted Niles. He wasn’t about to let the smug, formal son of a bitch talk for him.

“Great!” Markus clapped his hands as he stood up, clearly pleased with the outcome. “I’ll send the gallery address your way.” 

Connor stood at the same time, patting his brother’s shoulder, who, to Gavin’s surprise, had his head in his hands. He almost looked _embarrassed._

“I apologize for my family.” Niles groaned from his position. “They seem to enjoy blurring the line between work and life.”

“You don’t?”

Niles leaned back in his chair, rubbing his face. “I find secrets easier to keep with clear boundaries.”

Gavin nodded, grabbing his jacket as he prepared to head out for the night. “See you tomorrow, I guess.”

Niles nodded, standing up himself and grabbing his jacket. “Thank you for accepting. If you hadn’t I’m fairly certain I would’ve had to explain it to a very disappointed Carl.”

Gavin shrugged, making his way to his bike in the precinct parking lot. He put his helmet on and drove away, leaving Niles by his car waiting for his brother.

When Gavin pulled into the empty warehouse, the sun was setting. Tina, Hank, and Chris were already there, with Tina and Chris already in the process of suiting up.

“I’m just saying, Carl Manfred’s work defined an entire generation of modern art. I can’t believe you’d never heard of him!” Tina’s incredulous voice rang through the structure. 

Gavin parked his bike and made his way to the centre where Hank was already setting up to watch their backs.

“Think we’ll run into the wonder team tonight?” Chris asked as he pulled his gloves and visor down.

“If we do or don’t our objective remains the same. Protect our city and her people,” Hank said, rolling between computers as he got the CCTV footage live.

“We spread out tonight, stay on coms. If anything pops up, alert the rest of the team before going in. No specific targets tonight.” Gavin said, making his way to his case of uniforms. 

Reaching out he pulled down the dark grey set, pulling the under armour, kevlar lining, and leather exterior on one layer at a time, catching the domino mask Hank tossed his way.

“Report just came in on the scanner, wonder team’s active tonight. Spread out though, probably doing the same shit we are.” Hank said, turning back to his set up, headset on.

Gavin nodded, affixing the custom-fitted mask to his face and the display over his eyes booted up. Gavin raised and secured the hood before climbing on his second bike, making his way into downtown Detroit. He pulled up to the side of an abandoned storefront, a secondary base of the team, and parked the bike inside before scaling the walls. 

As he reached the top, he groaned out loud and activated his voice modifier.

“Evening, wonderboy,” he said to the figure clad in light blue spandex, “You ever get cold in that monkey suit?”

“Ever get hot in yours?” Nines replied. The hero was bulletproof with skin that turned to white metal on command, as well as possessing super strength like the rest of his team.

Gavin hooked his legs over the side of the skyscraper, his feet dangling over the ledge. “Anything interesting tonight?”

“Nope. It’s almost like crime took a day off. Nothing from rA9, 800, or PL either.”

“Seeker and Hunter haven’t reported anything either.” Gavin added, referring to Tina and Chris by the codenames they’d each selected a decade ago when they began this crusade.

“Seeker, Hunter, and Protector. Ever stop to think that you were being a little cliché?”

“Yours are literally random letters and numbers. You can’t exactly talk.” Gavin swears he saw a crooked smile crack Nine’s usually stone-cold face.

The two sat in silence for a while on the building. The two teams hadn’t exactly made a formal agreement, but they had made their peace with the fact that seven defenders on the streets were better than three or four.

Gavin stood up on the edge of the building, walking its perimeter before fixing a repelling cable to a steel inset hook at the top of the structure, testing its strength.

“Going somewhere?” Nines asked.

“What, you gonna miss me, tin can?” Gavin teased.

“Every moment we’re apart I long for your sweaty stench to reach my nostrils, meat sack.” Nines retorted sarcastically, standing up.

“You got flyboy coming by to pick you up?” Gavin asked. 

800 had the ability of flight, which, combined with his super strength, made him the perfect single person airplane. PL was telekinetic, and rA9 was able to heal incredibly fast. 

“The fact that you refer to my brother as ‘flyboy’ both delights me and annoys him in equal parts. Please never stop.”

“Sir, yes, sir,” Gavin replied sarcastically, mock saluting as he repelled off the building.


	2. Nines, 800, PL and rA9

Niles watched as Protector dropped out of sight, watching the sarcastic asshole disappear from view. 

_‘Eyes up, Nines, don’t get sloppy just because no reports have come through.’_ Carl’s voice rang through his head. The aging telepath was the team’s connection to each other. He’d found all of them and brought them together, training them in buttfuck nowhere Missouri for twenty years before returning with them to Detroit.

By the time they returned, Simon and Markus had finally gotten over themselves and gotten together and were annoyingly happy. Meanwhile, Connor was content being alone, having come out as aro/ace three years ago to their family. 

But Niles couldn’t get one particular detective out of his head. 

Carl had them first surface as their hero personas, to the annoyance of the local vigilante team. For 6 months, they didn’t step foot outside as themselves, only as Nines, 800, PL, and rA9. Then Carl used his old connections at the FBI to have them placed in the DPD as detectives, partnering with the few non-corrupt detectives there. 

They had begun their dual lives in earnest, and the moment Niles had seen his partner, it was like the world stopped. Gavin Reed was the singularly most gorgeous person Niles had ever set eyes on. The hint of scars adorning his body peeked from under the detective’s shirt. His eyes shifted between hazel and grey depending on his mood and it was a truly heart wrenching thing to watch.

Niles sighed and banged his head against the roof entrance shed.

 _‘You’re thinking about Reed again, aren’t you,’_ came Markus’ smug voice. _‘I can’t believe you nearly didn’t invite him to Carl’s show. He’s the only reason the invitations were extended to our partners as well.’_

 _‘I can’t wait for Carl to get a peek inside Reed’s brain. See if he obsesses about you as much as you do him,’_ Connor’s voice broke through

 _‘Quit it, both of you. It’s not fair to Niles.’_ Simon was always the kindest and gentlest of them. If Carl was the brain of the team, he was the heart.

_‘That is specifically why I didn’t want to invite him. Your obsession with my feelings for the detective is a little creepy.’_

Niles felt Markus and Connor roll their eyes as Simon chuckled softly. The wind whistled around Niles’ head, signaling Connor’s arrival. Niles raised his hands as his brother grabbed his forearms tight, and Niles held on for dear life as Connor took off again.

 _‘Remind me why I had to fly with flyboy,’_ Niles asked the group.

 _‘I hate Protector with a passion.’_ Came Connor’s annoyed response, to the collective laughs of the group.

Connor continued flying home, dropping Niles onto the balcony of his room. The mansion Carl had purchased when they had all moved in was expansive. Each of them had their own wing, except for Markus and Simon who, as in love as ever, had chosen to live together. 

Niles walked inside, stripping off the specially fabricated suit and sending it down the concealed chute to the secret basement that kept all their uniforms and tech.

Pulling on a pair of PJ pants, he grabbed his phone to a message from Markus that simply said, “Link down. You’re texting Gavin the address.”

Niles groaned and flopped on his bed, opening up his contacts and searching for Gavin’s number.

Reed

The opening is at the Museum of Modern Art

If you need a ride lmk

(read 3:21 am)

what exactly is the dress code for a gallery opening

(read 3:22 am)

Business formal, not quite black tie but close

(read 3:22 am)

why tf r u awake rn?

(read 3:23 am)

i can see u read it

(read 3:23 am)

i saw the little dots u pos answer my q

(read 3:24 am)

Goodnight Detective Reed

(read 3:30 am)

jfc ur impossible

(read 3:30 am)

Niles sighed. It was in everyone’s best interest if he kept as much distance as possible between himself and Gavin. No matter how infuriatingly handsome he and his impossibly soft curly hair was. Leading a double life didn’t lend itself well to relationships unless the same was true for the other person. Or your partner knew your secret, and that was what had gotten both of Carl’s wives killed.

So instead of responding to Gavin’s question, no matter how much he wished to continue his messages, he set his phone on its charging dias and went to bed. 

Only to be greeted by impossible dreams of the detective and his wonderful eyes.


	3. Opening

It was nearly noon by the time Niles woke up. The opening was in an hour so he got up as quickly as he could, leaning out his apartment door to shout, “We colour coding today?”

With five voices shouting back, “SKY BLUE!”

Ah, so Leo was home. Markus and his brother had an interesting relationship. Markus was the son from Carl’s first marriage, Leo from his second. Leo had been part of the team once, his ability to fritz and control tech was incredibly useful, but now Leo simply covered their tracks with CCTV footage in a three-mile cube of their house.

Leo worked at an outreach program for kids while he worked on getting his teaching certificate; it was arts-based, so every once in a while Carl would sponsor a showing of the kids’ artwork. It always made the kids' year.

Niles dug through the closet before giving up and accessing the smart panel on the side, typing in ‘sky blue’ and being provided with an array of options. 

Pulling out the blue shirt and a pair of fresh-pressed slacks, Niles got dressed, making his way to the main kitchen and grabbing a croissant from the breakfast bar before heading out to the garden.

Ralph was in the garden, as usual, tending to the flowers.

“Good morning, Ralph.” Niles said, “The hydrangeas are blooming beautifully, did you graft this species yourself?”

Ralph twitched slightly. “Ralph did. Ralph is proud of the colour. Ralph took months to get it right and Ralph wasn’t sure it would work properly.”

Ralph had been a member of Carl’s team, one that had failed on their first mission, leaving Carl and Ralph the lone survivors. Ralph had a way with plants; they seemed to obey his will, and now that meant creating beautifully vibrant colours.

Niles walked along the path to the garage, checking his phone to see a message from Gavin.

Reed

  
  


the offer for a ride still stand?

(sent 11:57 am)

It does. Send me your address and I’ll be there in ten

(read 11:58 am)

Gavin obliged, sending his address, which Niles shared with his driver. When they arrived, Gavin was waiting outside his apartment building, and Niles felt his breath catch in his throat. Gavin’s usually unkempt hair had been styled, his curls even more prominent now, and he was wearing a light grey blazer with matching slacks over a white button down. The scars on his arms slithered their way up and under the cuffed sleeves of the blazer.

Gavin knocked on the window, startling Niles out of his drool-fest. Niles leaned over, clearing his throat, and opened the door.

“Hello, Detective Reed.”

“Holy shit, this is a nice car.” Gavin said as he climbed in, sitting next to Niles.

“Carl insists that we all arrive separately with appropriate appearances, with the exception of Markus and Simon, of course.”

“Of course?” Gavin asked.

Niles looked over at him with an eyebrow raised. “You weren’t aware that Markus and Simon were married?”

Gavin shrugged. “Nope. Just assumed y’all were brothers.”

Niles cracked a slight smile and shook his head. “That’s just me and Connor. Leo is Markus’ brother. Carl took Connor and I in when our mother passed. Simon showed up when we were ten. Markus was ten at the time and Simon was eleven. Then we all spent the next seven years listening to the two of them mope about their feelings for the other until they finally got over themselves.”

“Four FBI agents under the same roof. Holy shit.”

“We aren’t FBI agents, Detective Reed. We’re investigators that have previously worked with the FBI.”

“The difference there being?”

“We don’t answer to the ever-changing bureaucracy that makes up the Federal Bureau of Investigation. We answer to ourselves.”

The conversation lulled after that. 

When they arrived at the museum, Connor and Lieutenant Anderson had already arrived, as had Detective Chen and her fiancé Vanessa. 

Niles opened the door and climbed out of the car. “Thank you, Jerry,” he said to the driver who waved and drove off once Gavin had exited as well. 

Niles smoothed his shirt and walked over to his brother. “Lieutenant, Detective, Vanessa. So nice to see you all.” He said pleasantly. They continued to exchange pleasantries until Markus, Simon, Detective Miller, and his wife had arrived. 

When Carl’s car arrived the boys ceased their conversation and made their way to his car, in a well practiced series of movements: Markus opened the door with Leo beside him, Connor and Niles retrieved their mentor’s wheelchair from the trunk, and Simon slid in the other side to help him up. Once the chair was put together and in position, Leo and Markus each took an arm while Simon helped push Carl up from behind, as the group maneuvered Carl into his chair. Once he was seated, Leo stood behind him and began to navigate the chair into the museum.

Niles looked over at their partners to see them all staring. He cleared his throat loudly and they looked away. Then Niles and Connor approached the door, each grabbing one side of the giant glass double doors and opening them for their mentor and team, continuing to hold it open for the various guests waiting outside, including the detectives. 

Gavin was the last to walk through the doors, so Connor and Niles followed behind him.

A gallery of Carl’s work was on display inside. Niles groaned as he noticed two or three familiar pieces scattered around. Carl was insistent on having his charges paint, whatever they felt like. And every once and awhile, if they were good, he would include them in his shows. Niles noticed one of Connor’s, two each of Simon’s and Leo’s, and seven of Markus’ sculptures. 

The team let out a collective sigh of fond annoyance, drawing questioning looks from their partners, to which they just shook their head in response. 

After the speeches were made, the group was released to browse at their pleasure, and Niles lost track of Gavin.

A quick perusal of the gallery found him staring at

 _'Oh dear god, Carl, why_ **_that one_** _'_

The painting featured Niles’ attempts to capture the way Gavin’s eyes would change colour. Thankfully, it merely bore a number as its title, and not the name he’d given it when he first painted it. 

“I didn’t know you paint.”

“I don’t. It's something Carl has us do, to let off steam or stress. General emotions.”

“It’s pretty fucking cool is what it is.”

 _‘You know exactly why_ **_that one_ ** _. It’s the one you’re most proud of. Now bring him here, I want to meet the man that’s absolutely captivated your attention,’_ came Carl’s response. Niles stifled a heavy sigh, composing himself before speaking.

“Carl wants to meet you.” 

“Lead the way.”

Niles made his way past his brother, who was giving a quote to some journalist, past Markus who had his arm around Simon’s waist while meeting Detective Miller’s wife, past Leo who was thoroughly enjoying something Vanessa had just said, his head back in laughter, to Carl.

“Mr. Manfred, I’m-”

“Detective Gavin Reed, top of your class at the DPD academy, made detective in a record of 2 years. I know who you are.”

Niles heard Gavin mutter something that sounded a lot like “Fucking FBI” before he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, turning just in time to see the bullet fired at Carl.

Without thinking, Niles moved to stand in front of Carl, his skin hardening as more guns were drawn.

The crowd ran out screaming, for the most part, except for the detectives and Carl’s team.

Leo’s hands were fritzing with electricity, so CCTV was down.

Simon’s hand was extended, in the process of yanking guns out of hands.

Markus was standing protectively in front of the detective’s partners, ready to take any ammunition and heal from it.

Connor was running towards Carl, ready to fly him out.

But the reactions of the detectives were what interested Niles the most. They stood, ready, and, with a jolt, Niles recognized their stances.

 _‘_ ** _Holy fucking shitballs._** _’_ came Leo’s voice echoing in their heads

 _‘Apologies, detectives, this is likely very strange. Link established.’_ Carl’s voice came through.

 _‘Welcome to the shitshow that is a link,’_ said Connor, tucking Carl behind Markus and Simon.

A plan, wordlessly translated through the link, was forming in Gavin’s head, and within seconds was in action.

Hank, Vanessa and Carly Miller were behind Markus within seconds, Carl behind them, Chen and Miller covering the sides of the corner completely.

Connor flew overhead, picking up as many of the weapons as Simon could throw before the two of them joined the hand-to-hand fight that Niles and Gavin - _Protector -_ had begun.

Wordlessly their plan worked, and eventually the attackers were incapacitated, with each of them in handcuffs and unconscious.

“Well. We need to talk.” Carl said to Hank, who responded gruffly,

“Yes. Yes we do.”


	4. Explanations and Memory

After recalling the Jerries, everyone partnered up into one of the, Gavin had just learned, armoured cars. 

Markus and Simon had split up, each going with their partners. Tina, Vanessa and Simon arrived home first, followed quickly by Markus and the Millers. Connor and Hank had chosen to drive Hank’s cruiser, as he’d been the only one to arrive by himself. 

That left Gavin and Niles with the old telepath, Carl Manfred. 

Niles hadn’t deactivated his bulletproof skin since the shots were fired, sitting perched, alert, on the seat. Gavin’s posture mimicked his in its alertness, ready to defend their long time secret ally. 

Neither of them relaxed until they drove through the open gates of the mansion, which were quickly shut behind them.

This time Simon was the only one helping Carl out of the car, openly using the power he had no doubt used in secret before. Once in the chair Carl wheeled inside and down a hall. The group followed, with Niles and Gavin taking up the rear.

When they arrived, Gavin stared at the expansive library around them, as did the rest of his team. But the supers kept walking towards four different bookcases, moving several heavy looking busts off of the shelves to reveal scanners. Each hero pressed their hand down, and a few moments later the two 20ft tall bookcases in front of Carl opened, revealing a stark white hallway, slightly slanting downwards.

The heroes instinctively made their way down, Carl following, before he turned his chair, which Gavin realized with a start was being piloted by his telepathy, to look at them.  _ ‘Well come on, we don’t have all day. Who knows who followed us.’ _

Gavin cleared his throat, definitely not paying attention to the fact that Niles had discarded his bullet riddled shirt when he’d entered his home, certainly not fixating on how lean he was and how with each movement Gavin could see the muscles under his skin shift. 

_ ‘It might be wise, Detective Reed, if you looked  _ **_away_ ** _ from Niles. Your thoughts are rather loud right now, and it is making it hard to concentrate.’  _ Carl’s voice rang through Gavin’s head, making him jump slightly.

“Carl, stop showing off,” Markus chastised his father. “Remember when we had the conversation about you needing to communicate with people before entering their minds? Do you remember why we had that conversation?”

Simon flushed as Carl continued making his way down the hallway. “Vividly.”

Gavin looked to his team and shrugged, walking down the steps as they fell in line behind him. 

The ramp eventually opened up into a series of hallways that formed a balcony overlooking a large open area. As Gavin passed, he recognized it as a training area. It hadn’t occurred to him that they  _ had  _ trained. He figured they’d just received their powers and started trying to take over. 

The group continued down the hall, Simon falling back to walk with the human group.

“There were supposed to be refreshments at the gallery. Anything we can get for you? Coffee? Snacks?”

Gavin vaguely registered Tina asking for some tea, as did Chris. Gavin noticed that Mrs. Miller was nowhere to be seen, probably got dropped off at home to keep an eye on her and Chris’s kid, and Vanessa had probably joined her. 

Simon looked expectantly at Gavin, who cleared his throat. “Coffee, please.”

With that, Simon disappeared down a hall, Niles following him. Gavin tried not to look too disappointed as he forced himself to continue following the old man. 

They eventually arrived at a room that looked similar to their own operation. Theirs didn’t have walls, but the same CCTV display and police scanners were sitting, turned down. There was a circular table with an empty centre and a break in the side wide enough for Carl’s wheelchair. He moved into the centre and up to the computers, doing a quick scan while Leo triple checked that the CCTV had actually gone down at the museum.

Hank made his way over to Carl, sitting opposite him as they both fell silent. Gavin stood awkwardly just in the doorway, as did Markus and Connor.

“I hate when he does this,” Markus said, leaning against the wall

“And what, exactly, is he doing?” Gavin asked, choosing to make his way in and sit against the table.

“They’re having a telepathic conversation. Likely exchanging information on whoever it was that attacked today.” Connor answered.

Gavin pulled a bullet out of his pocket that had bounced off of Niles in the fight.

“You don’t exactly need a telepath for that,” he said, as he passed the bullet to Tina, who the passed it to Chris, each of them seeing what Gavin had seen.

On the back of the bullet, unharmed by bouncing off of a superhero, were the initials EK.

“Fuck,” Chris muttered, as he passed it back to Gavin.

“You know who it was?” Markus was alert now, a fierce protectiveness in his eyes.

“Elijah Kamski. Asshole narcissist extraordinaire,” Gavin replied.

“Our former sixth team member,” Tina added on.

“And Detective Reed’s half brother,” Niles spoke from the doorway, carrying a single mug of coffee, which he handed to Gavin.

“Yeah. There’s that too,” Gavin sighed, taking the coffee and then a sip, prepared for the boring taste of black coffee only to be pleasantly shocked. Then confused. How the fuck did the tin can know the  _ exact _ brand of vanilla syrup he hid in his coffee?

“I believe you have something to share, Detective Reed,” Carl used his actual voice for the first time since the attack.

Using Carl’s telepathy, the group was back on the rooftop of their former base from five years ago.

“For fuck’s sake, Seer, can you stop trying to fix things for five seconds and just live here, in this time, and listen to-”

“This argument is irrelevant. I win, as always, and you sulk for three days,” Elijah interrupted, his stark white uniform a mirror of Gavin’s darker, nearly black, grey one. 

“No, we are having this argument. You killed seven people tonight and didn’t even  _ blink _ . That's fucked. We’re supposed to be protecting these people, not terrorizing them!”

“Fear is the only way to control people.”

“For fuck’s sake! We don’t want to  _ control  _ them, we want to  _ protect  _ them! How did you get that idea so twisted in your head?” Gavin shouted back. 

It was strange watching this argument. Carl had accessed the memories provided by himself, Chris, and Tina from that night. Gavin wasn’t in his own body seeing what he had seen that night, he was outside. And Niles was standing next to him.

When he looked around, Connor, Hank and Carl were standing behind memory Hank, Tina and Simon behind memory Tina, and Markus and Chris behind memory Chris.

The memory continued around him.

“Seer, control is dangerous. We aren’t the government, and we aren’t criminals.” Memory Tina spoke next.

Elijah turned on her. “Yes we are, Seeker. We’re fucking vigilantes. There are seventeen warrants out for each of our individual arrests on  _ average _ . We  _ are _ criminals. Why not take what we’re due? If we controlled this city it would be safe. It would change!”

“That's no way to force people to live. The people here aren’t mindless drones. They have thoughts and feelings. They have families.” Memory Chris spoke loudly.

Gavin looked over to Niles, who was having difficulty understanding.

“Voice modulators. We never turned them off in those days. We didn’t know each other. Elijah claimed it was safer,” Gavin explained, and Niles nodded.

Elijah pulled the gun on Tina, the only one who didn’t wear a kevlar lined head covering. This was what had changed that particular design choice.

Then it was a flurry of action that blurred slightly as Carl attempted to follow. It ended with Tina and Chris out of commission and Hank unconscious on the ground.

“You  _ know _ you’re no match for me, Gavin. You’ve never been. You’ve always wanted my power. The universe never wanted you to have it.”

“Elijah, you’ve always been an asshole with big talk and next to no action.”

Elijah lunged, and he was right. 

God, Gavin  **_hated_ ** that he was right.

He evaded as much as he could but he couldn’t match Elijah’s super strength. Eventually Gavin started to tire, but thankfully so did Elijah.

Then two things happened at once. Elijah drove the knife he had drawn between Gavin’s ribs, slicing him open and exposing his lungs, and Gavin gathered the last of his strength to shove his brother off the roof. 

There was a lull, and Gavin collapsed. 

The memory ended and they were back in the room, all sitting down at the table. 

As Gavin faded in, he realized that Niles had grabbed his hand at some point in the memory, and was clutching it tight. So tight it was starting to hurt a little. 

But he didn’t want Niles to let go. 

“After that we shared our identities with each other. Gavin barely survived, and Elijah disappeared,” Chris broke the silence. Niles gripped Gavin’s hand tighter. 

“He resurfaced around two years ago, three years later. No new name, but using his powers to hurt people. We’d been fighting against him directly when you lot showed up. Then he disappeared again. We figured you’d either dealt with him yourselves, or he’d gotten scared and gone into hiding,” Gavin shared, adding on after a few moments of silence, “We’ve been looking too. But he knows us. Knows how to watch us.”

“Watch you?” Markus asked.

“He gets premonitions. He can force them sometimes, which was useful when he was working with us instead of against us. But now, it just means that anything we do, anyone we meet, odds are he will have seen coming.” Gavin sighed, rubbing his face with his free hand. “We tried looking into past documented superheros to see if anyone had ever managed to block it, but we didn’t find anything. So we try not to make decisions until the absolute last second.”

The last sentence was filled with guilt. He’d been so annoyed that Niles had tried to speak for him yesterday that he’d made an active decision nearly 24 hours ahead of when it would take effect. 

This was his fault.

_ ‘No it isn’t. This was bound to happen at some point. You’re just lucky it was today.’ _

“It wasn’t luck. Odds are he knows who you all are. He chose an event all of us would be at, and took advantage. He’s literally an evil genius with superpowers,” Gavin responded out loud, not realizing that what he’d heard from Carl was a thought.

“Guess we know where your distrust of powers comes from,” Simon added.

“No offence, but Elijah was the first person I knew who had powers. I was there when he broke a guy’s arm in half like it was a toothpick. The only other person with powers I’d met before you guys was a former detective at the DPD. And he was crooked as they came. He used his power to extract bribes. He could tell exactly what someone valued, and he’d exploit it, lining his own pockets.” Gavin looked around the table. “Haven’t exactly had the best track record.”

“And why would you? Except for nine rare exceptions, our kind has chosen to live life as if we had no powers, only stepping in when needed, not seeking out trouble. We train, in secret, all over the world, so that if a major threat ever arose, we could protect the Earth. We have for generations upon generations.” Carl spoke with such authority that Gavin just accepted it until Tina spoke up

“Sorry, you said nine? There’s only eight publicly documented. Four before you, and you four now.” 

Immediately the tone of the room shifted. Niles withdrew his hand from Gavin’s, Simon and Markus suddenly found the table much more interesting than anything else, Leo looked at his father who looked back, and Connor rubbed his hands together nervously.

“Someone died,” Gavin surmised. “Someone you all knew. Someone you were planning on appearing with.” Gavin thought back on the research he’d done when the heroes had surfaced. They’d only appeared once before Detroit, and looking back, there had indeed been five of them. The four men seated around him, and a woman, red hair in a tight braid.

“North. She was an acquired taste, but she was our friend. We failed her,” Connor said, continuing to rub his hands together.

“You didn’t fail her, I did. I pushed too early,” Carl said, regret permeating his voice.

The group sat in silence. Gavin wanted nothing more than to reach out to Niles and comfort him, to wrap his arms around him and hold him close. And he nearly did, before Hank cleared his throat.

“There’s something else. Didn’t bother telling you lot cause it didn’t matter, but Elijah isn’t a precognint. He’s an absorber.” 

The mood shifted again, those with powers suddenly more on guard, and those without curious.

“I’m sorry, what?” Gavin asked. He’d remembered the first time Elijah had had a vision, too. It was- “He stole it from you. When you showed up at the career fair in high school. He shook your hand. He had his first vision less than five minutes later.”

Tina, Gavin, and Chris all looked at their backup with new eyes.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Chris asked

“I figured you knew. He’s a damn powerful one too. He can hold multiples at once. I don’t know if I’ll ever get mine back at this point. He’s being incredibly selective. I believe he can reach a total of five amassed powers, because he was always careful not to touch me until one day he came back from a mission and insisted on contact.”

Gavin leaned back in his chair, rubbing his face, muttering a slew of swear words which, when semi-coherently strung together, sounded like “Fucking bastard asshole narcissistic good-for-nothing bitch apathetic jerk”

“No love between you and your brother?” Connor asked, as Gavin rolled his eyes.

“That asshole has tried to kill me and himself, unprovoked, seventeen times. Times when I threw the first punch? Three. Uncategorical? Seven. My so-called ‘brother,’” he made air quotes, “has, in total, attempted to end my life, with his own hands, twenty seven times over the course of the past five years. Not including the years he’s been MIA? Twenty seven times in two years.”

Markus let out a low whistle. “Gotta admire his dedication, even if it's to his desire to end your life.” He spoke with a hint of sarcasm. The tension in the room dissolved slightly.

“I do have a rather important question for you two, Detective Chen and Detective Miller.” Carl said, and once he had both of their attention, continued, “Your partners, can we trust them to keep our secret?”

The emphatic yes, not just from Chris and Tina, but from Hank and Gavin, seemed to both shock and assuage any remaining fears.

“Now, I’d love to encourage you to stay for dinner, but if you do, there are some things you should know about the household staff.” Carl said, making his way out of the briefing room.

“Jerries, who I believe you met earlier today, are copies of Jerry. He has the ability to replicate himself and control every clone. It can be rather difficult to get used to, but the various Jerries often finish sentences, so if you don’t catch the end, ask him to repeat it again. The sentence was probably finished across the estate.”

Carl continued to roll up the ramp. “Then you have our guests, Kara and Alice. Kara’s empathic, able to not only sense others emotions, but influence them as well. She’s also a certified therapist. Alice, on the other hand, we’re not quite sure of. We believe her powers will develop in the next few years, if not months, and they’ll likely have to do with temperature manipulation.”

They exited the secret hallway into the library, where a very tall man greeted them. “Luther here serves as my bodyguard when the boys are busy. He has super strength, times two. I would argue against picking a fight with him, Detective Reed, no matter how curious you are.”

“I managed to take down flyboy once,” Gavin replied, poking fun at Connor. 

  
“It is even more infuriating to hear you say that in person and  _ not  _ in a mask,” Connor sighed. 


	5. Questions and Answers

Slowly the group dispersed. Simon, Markus, and Chris went to take a look at the garden, likely where they’d meet Ralph. Tina accepted Connor’s offer for a house tour, and Hank went off with Carl to catch up.

Leaving Gavin and Niles in the library.

“I can’t believe you - You metal asshole,” Gavin said, glaring at his partner. 

“In my defence, I didn’t know you were Protector. What was I gonna do? Tell my partner, who, I noticed, hates mine and my family’s powers,” Niles stopped and held up a hand to keep Gavin from interrupting, “rightfully so, knowing what I know now. But tell my partner, who doesn’t exactly like me to begin with, that, surprise, I’m the ‘vain asshole with the white skin’ who ‘parades around in a stupid fucking monkey suit that does nothing for his ass’.”

Gavin’s mouth opened and closed like a goldfish. Niles found it adorable, and he celebrated the small victory at finally having left the detective speechless.

“Now, dinner won’t be for a few hours. Anything you’d like to see?”

“Got any embarrassing family photos?” Gavin smirked, cocky, and dear god, Niles just wanted to grab him and make him  **_shut up_ ** for once.

Niles cleared his throat, pushing the image from his mind. “I mean, probably in Carl’s wing. Somewhere.”

“‘Carl’s ‘ **wing** ’?” Gavin parroted.

“Did you not see the size of this place? It's designed so we each have our own wing. Carl has the southwest centre, Leo southeast centre, Markus and Simon have the northeast front, Connor has the southwest back, and I’ve got the southeast front.”

“Jesus fuck. You’re rich.”

“No.  _ I  _ live on a consulting detective’s salary.  _ Carl  _ is rich. And I can’t afford to move out. It's a hell of a lot better than training. I was bunkmates with Markus, and good god, that man’s whimpering over Simon,” Niles trailed off when he noticed Gavin was staring at him. “What?”

“You’re so different when you’re around your family. You’re not as uptight.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“I don’t exactly know. Ask me again tomorrow.” Gavin grinned. “So if you don’t know this whole house, show me what a tin can calls home.”

“You know, you used to have more creative names. Now you just sound like a broken record, tincan or wonderboy.” Niles made his way out of the library into the grand foyer, turning to the familiar left staircase.

“They fit best.” Gavin said, following beside Niles.

He hadn’t meant to grab his hand in the memory, but watching Memory Gavin get hit again and again, then stabbed... He’d needed to grab real Gavin to make sure he was still there, still  _ alive _ . And then he just hadn’t let go. And neither had Gavin. And then they’d mentioned North and he’d drawn back into himself, dropping Gavin’s hand on instinct even though he’d wanted to hold on tighter.

Niles reached the hall with the doors. Connor’s was at the front end of the hall, and Niles’ at the back, so he kept walking before getting to his door.

“This is mine.” He said, letting Gavin into his apartments. There was a small kitchen, constantly kept stocked by Jerry, and a small living space with a huge TV and a couch that looked untouched. The large armchair in the corner was another matter; Niles spent most of his time at home in that chair. The space that was meant as a bookshelf had no books, instead housing a variety of beautiful flowers.

Niles made his way over to his bedroom door, gently pulling it shut before leaning on his desk, which sat against the wall dividing the living space from his room.

“Carl won’t let us have anything but the best. Says we deserve to enjoy the ‘finer things in life’. Not that we spend much time here.”

“Work, Patrol, Sleep, maybe eat if you’re lucky.” Gavin supplied, with a familiarity about the routine. 

Niles smiled to himself, god he should’ve told Gavin sooner. Then it sunk in. Gavin and his irritatingly handsome scars were in his room. He’d ditched the blazer and button down in the underground compound, now he was just in a pair of slacks and an undershirt. Niles could see more scars then he’d ever hoped to see winding their way across Gavin’s muscles. 

_ Holy fuck, he’s ripped,  _ he thought, probably a bit too loudly, and tacked on a  _ Sorry Carl.  _ to the end of his thought.

Scars he’d gotten protecting their city. Her people. For twenty years Gavin had been fighting, without powers, without super strength, and alongside someone who didn’t have his back at all. He’d been fighting and protecting for years with nothing but sheer stubborn willpower in his corner.

“Earth to wonderboy? You shut down or something?”

Niles cleared his throat, focusing on the detective’s greener hazel eyes. This was a colour he hadn’t seen before. Usually the detective’s eyes were grey when interrogating, and a browner hazel when on guard. Now, they were green. 

He made a mental note to try and understand what this colour meant as he answered, “Do you have any questions?”

“A few. You don’t have to answer them all though.” His eyes gained a hint of grey around the outside of the iris.

Niles sat down on one end of the couch. He’d never sat on it before, never had a reason to sit  _ with _ someone, and crossed his legs, sitting with his back against the armrest. Gavin sat on the other end, leaning back and kicking his feet up so they sat on the back of the couch.

“When did you start training?”

“Around when I turned 15.”

“So you’ve been training for twenty years?”

Niles nodded “How about you?”

“Our dad put Elijah and I in karate when we were kids. We kept going, I expanded my training. Do all of you with powers have heterochromia?”

Niles blinked, a little surprised Gavin knew the specific term for it. “Uh, yes. At least all the ones Carl’s encountered have. Simon’s got the least of it I’ve seen. Well, no, that's not true anymore. Hank only has a small line down the middle. I looked.”

“Elijah had half an eye mismatched. He got teased for it when we were kids.”

“Why did you decide to start all of this? Being Protector?”

Gavin scoffed a little. “You know Tina picked our names for us? When we started working together, she decided we needed something else besides ‘the vigilante’ and the colour of our suits. I didn’t choose Protector.”

“You’re not answering my question.”

Gavin shrugged. “I was walking home from high school and there was this kid, I think he was  _ maybe  _ 14 buying Red Ice off a guy twice his age. And the cops were standing there, making sure he didn’t get interrupted. They were guarding this dealer who was ruining people’s lives just to make a quick buck. And the cops weren’t doing shit. So I started saving, fighting with what little protection I could find until I managed to buy a suit. Hank’s son was my original overwatch. Cole was a good kid, pissed I wouldn’t let him come out with me, but he was literally 10. Hank was pissed when he found out how long Cole had been overwatch. Saved my hide more times than I can count that first year.”

“Wait, you started when you were  _ how _ old?”

“17, nearly 18. I’ve been doing this for twenty years. Elijah joined me when he found out what I was doing three years after I started. ‘Bout ten years ago Chris and Tina surfaced. Only a few months apart, actually. It was kinda surprising at first. It’d been just Elijah and I for almost a decade. Elijah didn’t trust them, so we didn’t share our names, but we worked together well. Got so much more done as the four of us than we would’ve ever done alone. Then it just made sense to theme our names together, apparently. I dunno, ask Tina. She’s become the unofficial PR person for us.” Gavin shrugged. “Same question for you. Why’d you choose to do this? Did you guys even have a choice?”

“Of course we did!” Niles got a little defensive before closing his eyes and starting again. “Carl wouldn’t make us do anything. I mean, fuck, none of our people wanted us to do this. They wanted people to think heroes and powers died out forty years ago. It’d be safer. But the world’s fucked in so many little ways. They kept saying that we were training for the end times, to save the world, but if we didn’t step in, if we didn’t help people, would there even be a world left to save?”

Gavin seemed to consider this, nodding his agreement with Niles’ statement. 

“And we didn’t all choose it. Leo trained with us too. He chose to stay in obscurity. Josh, less so. He’s a world renowned biologist. He’s able to manipulate base elements, like the classic five, air, water, fire, earth, metal.”

Niles went quiet for a moment, before adding, “I almost didn’t choose it. I had seen how well staying in obscurity was working for everyone else I’d met like me. And sure, it was Carl’s vision to save the world from itself, but I didn’t buy into it, really. Not until North died.”

“What happened to her? North?”

Niles sat silent for a minute, not meeting Gavin’s eyes, instead staring at his hands as his fingers splayed in his lap.

“It was our first mission. We were sent to a Red Ice warehouse on the outskirts of Detroit. It was going great, until we got cocky. North wanted to take down the whole building instead of just grabbing the dealers. And we had done so well we ignored Carl’s advice. We didn’t last ten minutes. They were surrounding us, I tried to get her out but she was bleeding too fast. We couldn’t use Markus as a blood bag, because we didn’t have the stuff with us. Simon could only get himself and one other person out, he chose Markus. Connor could only carry one person and he chose me. I begged him to take her instead. I’m bulletproof. I can take it, I could’ve survived-” Niles' voice got quieter and quieter as he remembered, guilt weighing him down, as it did all of them.

He hadn’t even noticed that Gavin had shifted, now sitting cross legged right in front of Niles. He only noticed when his splayed hands were no longer empty.

Gavin had slid his hands into Niles, holding onto his hands as tight as he could. He just wanted to comfort his partner. His  _ friend _ . He’d looked so sad, so broken. He wanted to wrap Niles in his arms, and for once, he didn’t fight the urge.

Slowly, Gavin slid his arms around Niles’ waist, pulling him in and holding him tight. He felt Niles’ hands rest on his chest and he prepared for Niles to push him away, but he didn’t. Instead he bunched his hands in the fabric of Gavin’s shirt and buried his face in the crook of Gavin’s neck. He felt Niles’ body shake softly, felt his tears dampen the fabric of his shirt.

They stayed like that for a while, neither of them could tell how long. 

Eventually Niles’ tears stopped falling, and he stopped shaking, but he didn’t want to move, and Gavin didn’t want to let go. So they sat there, closer than they’d ever been before.

Niles pulled back slightly and looked at Gavin, reaching out and cupping his face in his hand. Gavin looked into his eyes, god they were even more beautiful up close. This close he could see that the flecks of gold in his brown eye were almost glittering, beautiful and irregularly shaped. And there were so many smaller ones he couldn’t see before that he could map now that he was this close. And his blue eye with the green ring, there were flecks of grey, no,  _ silver  _ all throughout, and the ring of green was flecked with all green shades, not just a singular colour like he’d thought before.

And his hands. He’d noticed how soft his hands were before, but now, he leaned into his hand just a little, and he felt Niles’ thumb trace across the scar on his lip.

“Don’t laugh,” he murmured quietly, “but that scar isn’t from protecting people. That's from when I tried to eat a stapler when I was 5.”

Niles grinned, god his smile was so much better than Gavin could’ve imagined. It wasn’t perfect. It was slightly crooked, the one thing about him that wasn’t like a perfect Ken doll. But shit it was so much better than any Ken doll.  **He** was so much better. And he was real. And he was sitting in Gavin’s lap. And his hand was on Gavin’s cheek, still tracing his lips.

Just as Gavin was about to close the two inches between them there was a knock on Niles’ door.

Niles muttered something that Gavin interpreted as "Fuck Connor and his horrible timing” before twisting in Gavin’s lap to shout “What do you want, Connor?” at the door.

“Dinner’s in five. Please tell me you haven’t killed him.”

“Yes, I am lying here in a puddle of my own blood, motionless and cold,” Gavin shouted back.

Niles glared at him, but he wasn’t glaring because he was mad, he wasn’t even annoyed. He was glaring at Gavin  _ fondly _ . Gavin wanted to memorize the look in Niles’ eyes but he turned away to shout back at his brother before he could. 

“Detective Reed is fine! Now fuck off!”

The sound of footsteps receding prompted Niles to  _ finally  _ turn back to look at Gavin.

“You know you don’t have to call me Detective Reed, right?”

“You’ve said. Multiple times,” Niles said, still content to stay in Gavin’s lap.

“I know, but given that you’re now one of only eleven people in the whole ass world who knows what I do at night I figured-”

“Would you like me to call you Gavin?” Niles interrupted softly. Gavin smiled, hearing his name come from those perfectly imperfect lips was  **_exactly_ ** what he wanted.

“Yes.” he said, resting his hands on Niles’ hips. Gavin never wanted to let go.

“I’m really not hungry, are you?” Niles asked, his hand still resting on Gavin’s cheek.

“Not in the slightest.” he replied in a whisper. Niles’ grin grew wider, and he returned to resting on Gavin’s chest.

Gavin shifted slightly, extending his legs and wrapping his arms tightly around Niles, holding him close and burying his face in the hero’s hair. 

Niles sighed contentedly, and Gavin chuckled softly.

“What?” Niles murmured, his voice vibrating through Gavin’s chest, as he felt his heart contract. Niles was so much kinder and softer than he’d noticed. God, Gavin wanted to protect this man.

“The noise you just made. It was adorable.”

Niles pulled back and Gavin frowned until he looked over at him and saw his pouting face.

“I am not adorable. I am a dangerous and well trained operative for a secret organization.”

“Who is also adorable.” ‘ _ with incredibly kissable lips _ . ‘ Gavin added in his head 

Niles harrumphed and buried his face in Gavin’s neck once more. To Gavin’s shock he felt both himself and Niles growing tired. Niles drifted off first, his breathing steadying out and slowing down. Gavin leaned down and pressed a kiss to his partner’s forehead.

“Sweet dreams,” he murmured softly, nestling his way into the couch before drifting off himself.


	6. Bullet

When the sunlight beamed through the window, Niles had  **never** been more annoyed at a natural function than he was right now. He wanted to continue sleeping, in Gavin’s arms, forever. 

_ ‘If you two intend on staying home all day I suggest calling out of work now.’ _ Carl’s voice echoed in his head as his stomach growled. Carefully, Niles extricated himself from Gavin’s arms, no matter how much he didn’t want to.

Gavin had never missed a day in his career as a detective. A record Niles knew he was secretly proud of. So, instead, he went to the small kitchen and began cooking. Eggs and bacon, a pot of coffee, though Niles couldn’t stand the stuff, and the small bottle of Gavin’s favourite vanilla syrup. 

He’d had Simon ask Tina ages ago, and promptly bought a bottle for every kitchen Niles had access to, just in case. 

He was plating the food when Gavin finally stirred. He sat up quickly, looking around, panicked, until he saw Niles. His eyes shifted from grey to green the second he and Niles made eye contact.

“Good morning, Gavin. One egg or two?”

Gavin stretched and got up, making his way to the island counter and sitting in the chair that had a filled coffee mug sitting in front of it. “Two, please.”

Niles nodded, adding two eggs to the plate of bacon, and two slices of whole wheat toast.

The two of them sat, eating their food in a comfortable silence.

“Shit.” 

“Everything okay Gavin?”

“I don’t know about you, but I don’t exactly want to go in to work wearing this.” He gestured to his clothes. At some point in the night the undershirt had come untucked from his slacks, and with every movement Niles was able to catch a glimpse of what scars remained to be seen.

“There are certainly a number of our colleagues who wouldn’t complain.”

When Niles’ comment was met with confused blinking, he rolled his eyes. “You’re one of the best detectives the DPD has, and yet, you don’t notice the fact that half the precinct wants to devour you, and the other half wants to be you.”

“And which half do you fall in?” Gavin’s shit-eating grin was back. 

Niles looked away as he felt his face flush, under the guise of clearing the dishes away. Niles stuck them down the chute behind the counters labelled ‘Dishes’ and once he was satisfied that his face had calmed down enough he turned back to Gavin.

“Follow me.” He walked over to his bedroom, Gavin following close behind. Opening the door, he walked to the closet, pulling the tablet forward and directing Gavin to it. “Type in what you want and it’ll do its best to find clothes that match. Although I don’t have any hoodies in my closet, or leather for that matter.”

Niles swears he heard Gavin say, “That's too bad. Love to see you in some,” before loudly saying, “Thanks.”

Niles walked over to a separate set of drawers he kept for the clothes he wore on a regular basis. Pulling open the drawers and picking up one of the carefully folded outfits, he retreated back to the living room to change.

Gavin looked at the options presented to him. There weren’t a lot. Not that he’d wear. Not to work at least. He sighed, grabbing a light sweater off the hanger and a pair of jeans. Pulling the clothes on he turned to realize the Niles had closed the door and left him.

Gavin looked around the bedroom. He was a firm believer that anything you needed to know about a person you could learn from their room.

To no surprise, Niles’ room was spotless. His bed was made perfectly with military precision. There appeared to only be three personal items.

On the wall was a painting, in the same style as the one he had noticed at the exhibition, that Niles had painted. It was swirls of colour, light greys and browns and greens, with some red fading around the outside.

Hanging from the mirror, above the set of drawers, was a keycard on a lanyard. Neither said anything, but attached to the lanyard was a gay pride pin, and a pronoun pin. Gavin smiled softly as he ran his fingers over the familiar six coloured stripes.

Finally, on the dresser itself sat a photo in a plain frame. He recognized Niles and Connor, who looked to be about ten, but between the twins stood a girl. She looked to be about 13, with hair in two tight braids. Standing behind them with her hands on their shoulders was a woman. She looked to have darker skin than the children and a complex braid style. It was a stylized photo, with a blank and white filter. No colours could be picked out, especially not if these two mysterious figures also possessed heterochromia. 

Gavin made a note to save that as a question, if he ever got the chance to exchange questions with Niles again, as he opened the bedroom door quietly. He managed to catch Niles just as he was tucking the black dress shirt into his black slacks. Looking as infuriatingly perfect and pristine as ever. 

Niles turned to look at him and smiled. “You look good.”

Gavin rolled his eyes and walked over to Niles, who met him halfway. Reaching his hands up, he undid the top button of the fully buttoned up shirt. “Surely, superheros need to breathe too. Or is that another thing I’m missing.”

This time, Niles’ hands rested on Gavin’s hips. Gavin wished he’d stuck super glue on them, and his crooked smile widened. “My ideal presentation is polished and unnoticeable. And it  _ usually  _ works.”

Gavin fiddled with Niles’ collar as an excuse to keep his hands on his hips for as long as possible, when an alarm sounded from Niles’ phone. Gavin tried not to let it show how much he hated when Niles took his hands off of his hips to pull it out. “We need to get going or we’re going to be late.”

Gavin nodded and they made their way downstairs, where none of Niles’ family seemed surprised that Gavin had stayed over. He figured Carl had probably informed them.

The group split up into cars, keys flying through the air - being tossed at heads with super strength. Niles moved to stand in front of Gavin, his hand turning white as he caught a set, rolling his eyes as he ushered Gavin outside. “I swear, I don’t know how anyone thinks we’re human. Especially them.”

“You’ve perfected the art of appearing boring, tin can. The rest of them? Your guess is as good as mine.” 

Niles walked over to a car that looked like it cost more than Gavin’s rent for three years. 

“You’re continuing to prove my point, rich boy.”

“Not my money, but there are extras of each of our suits in a secret trunk compartment. So we take the cars everywhere Jerry doesn’t.”

“So you don’t pull a Superman?”

“A what?”

Gavin’s eyes widened. “How do you not know who Superman is? You’re like a fuckin’ carbon copy! You’ve got the looks, got half the powers. How- I have some choice words to send Carl’s direction. You clearly missed an important part of your education.”

Niles got in the car, laughing at his partner’s sudden enthusiasm. Gavin got in and turned to look at Niles. “Okay, Spider-Man?”

“What-man?”

“You know, with great power yadda yadda blah blah?”

“Nope.”

“Holy SHIT, Niles! Batman?”

“Why do these all have animals or descriptors attached to the word ‘man’. Those are  _ horrible  _ code names.”

“Green Lantern? Martian Man Hunter? Wonder Woman? Supergirl? Iron man? C’mon, you can’t tell me you didn’t watch those classics! Doctor Strange? Black Panther? Black Widow? Hawkeye? X-Men?” Gavin’s voice grew more and more disbelieving with every shake of Niles’ head. “Holy fuck. We’ve got some movies to watch. And comics to read. How?”

“We weren’t exactly encouraged to digest popular media regarding superheroes during our training. Carl didn’t want it to affect any of our perceptions of ourselves and our places on the team. He said that there was usually a clear leader, and that the leader generally wasn’t chosen for by the group but through extraneous circumstances. He wanted us to take charge, choose our places, figure out how we all fit.”

“And how exactly do you fit?”

“Markus is our leader, no question about that. Has been since day one. He’s a brilliant strategist, and he thinks faster than the speed of light. He’s the brain. Simon’s the heart. He takes care of us, makes sure we all make it back. Connor’s the legs. Gets us where we need to be, gets us out as fast as he can when things go wrong.”

“And you?”

Niles shrugged. “I’m extraneous, unimportant. I don’t fit the same way the three of them do. Never did, even when it was the seven of us. I’m disposable.”

“No, you’re not. You’re not disposable, Niles. Not to me.” How could anyone look at Niles and see him as  _ disposable,  _ as  _ unimportant? _ This absolutely gorgeous, kind, strong person, powers or no, and seeing him as  _ extraneous _ blew Gavin’s mind.

Niles reached over and gently squeezed Gavin’s hand. “That's nice of you to say, Gavin.”

Gavin didn’t let Niles pull his hand away, holding it tight. “I mean it. You’re irreplaceable. You think our investigations would get as far if you weren’t covering my ass, taking care of families and witnesses? I can tell you for sure that my solve rate skyrocketed when we partnered up. Even if you were spying for the FBI.”

“I was never  _ spying _ . Not for the FBI, at least. For ourselves? Yes.” Niles pulled his hand away as he got out of the car.

“You’re answering more questions about that later.”

“Yes, sir,” Niles mock saluted as he made his way to the door, holding it open for Gavin.

When they got inside they made their way to their team, all of them gathered around a screen.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Gavin asked.

“Gavin- I-” Tina stuttered. Chris simply gestured to the screen.

On it was a face Gavin would never forget. One obsidian black eye, one so light a grey it was nearly white. He froze in place.

“My name is Elijah Kamski. You knew me as Seer. Hunter, Seeker, Nines, 800, PL, rA9, and my old brother, Protector. This is on your hands. You should watch your city a little closer.”

The camera panned out. Elijah was standing on a riser in an empty warehouse. There were four people in front of him wearing all black tactical gear, and in front of them were four strangers - no, not strangers. Partners of victims Gavin had helped in the last six months, with Niles. The triggers sounded and the partners slumped to the ground. The camera returned to Elijah, zoomed in close.

“This is your first warning. Remember our old game, my dear brother? Remember what happened when you lost?”

And the feed cut, returning to the news broadcaster’s face, reporting on the mysterious video sent to the station that they had just broadcast.

Gavin couldn’t stop hearing the words over and over.  _ ‘Remember what happened when you lost? _ ’

Niles looked at Gavin. He’d looked at him the second Elijah had said his name, but Gavin was just staring at the screen blankly. His hands were shaking slightly, a tremor. Niles felt the team form up around them, shielding them from view on instinct.

Niles turned Gavin towards him, grabbing both of his hands. “Gavin? Can you hear me?”

Gavin nodded numbly, still not meeting Niles’ eyes.

“We need to get out of here. Grab essentials,” Markus said, and the team scattered. Niles grabbed Gavin’s jacket, a few things he’d noticed held some significance, their police issued tablets, and followed close behind Tina who had her arm linked with Gavin’s. 

Hank uttered a simple, “Ours,” before splitting up. Gavin crawled in the back of Tina’s tiny car, and Niles slid in beside him, opening his arms in a silent invitation, one Gavin took him up on, shifting over to wrap his arms around Niles’ waist so tight that if he didn’t have super strength he’d be struggling to breathe. Niles tangled his hands into Gavin's curls, cradling his head in his hands as he just held him.

Soon three cars were slamming on their breaks in a warehouse, and the doors were opening and shutting. Niles leaned into Gavin’s hair, whispering, “Can you get out?”

Gavin gripped Niles tighter. “Just one more minute, please.”

Niles nodded, pulling Gavin as close as he could. Eventually, Gavin took a deep breath, sitting up and placing his hands on either side of Niles’ face. “Do not go far from me. I can’t have him getting you, too.”

Niles placed his hands over Gavin’s. “I’m not going anywhere, Gavin Reed.”

Seemingly satisfied with his answer, Gavin took a deep breath and got out of the car, Niles following close behind him.

Niles took in the warehouse. They were on a subterranean level. The car had driven onto a platform of some kind that lowered the cars into the basement. Once the opening had closed over again, Gavin’s posture shifted, and his eyes changed to grey.

Watching Gavin walk to the centre of the room was a little terrifying. In between exiting the car and stepping onto the small platform he had become Protector, the vigilante who had taken down the second largest Red Ice cartel ever documented, with minimal backup from his team.

Niles followed closely behind him, only a half step behind. He hadn’t even realized he was walking in lock step with Gavin until they stopped at the same time.

“Hank, analyze. Coordinate with Carl as much as you can. See if any CCTV caught anything.” Hank moved to his station, already calling Carl.

“Chris, until Carl can get a link up, grab the extra comms. Connor, help him configure them for you guys. Tina, show Simon and Markus where to set up.” Gavin ran his fingers through his hair. “We find answers today. As close as we can get with the insanity that is Elijah Kamski.” 

As the team began moving to their assigned tasks, Gavin pulled out his phone and called someone. “Vanessa. Hi, yeah, we saw. We’re working on it. Yes, all of us. Safehouse 6 is after his time. Do me a favour, grab Asshole and Peaches for me? Thanks.” 

Gavin leaned against the desk, his hands gripping the edges so hard his knuckles turned white. 

Niles leaned against the desk next to him. “What’d he mean, about the game? About you losing?”

“Elijah’s my half brother, younger than me. Our dad left my mom for his. He was the golden child. When his mom died, our Dad used to play a ‘game’. The idea was to make Elijah choose between me or himself. He always picked himself. So I got stale, moldy food and he got a new goldfish.” Gavin closed his eyes, crossing his arms. “He’s going to make me choose, between the city or myself. How, I don’t know, but he will. That's what he meant.”

With his eyes closed, Gavin hadn’t anticipated Niles’ hand to be placed on the small of his back. He opened his eyes, the memories of Elijah’s glee and his empty stomach fading as he met Niles’ eyes. 

“You won’t have to choose. We’ll stop him. You’re stronger now than you were the last time. You have us, he won’t slip away this time. I won’t let him.”

Niles sounded so sure of himself that Gavin almost believed him, opening his mouth to reply, to explain that Elijah was more dangerous than he could ever imagine, when Hank shouted, “Police scanners just lit up. Seven different calls about explosives, DPD isn’t mobilizing, Kamski’s paid them off.”

“Suit up, wonderboy,” Gavin said, making his way to the cases lined up housing his, Chris, and Tina’s uniforms. 

They had their time down to under five minutes. Under armour, kevlar, leather oversuit, comm, headgear, go. Modesty had gotten thrown out the window during the oil fires in the shopping district two years ago and hadn’t returned since.

Three minutes in, and Gavin was ready, heading towards Hank, catching the comm tossed his way first, then the mask, fixing both into place then raising the hood. Gavin made his way to the garage, pulling out his bike and engaging the hover boosts.

“Link will take a while. Carl needs a minute to triangulate,” Markus said, suited up in the long cream coat and specialized armour underneath. “Call it, Protector.”

Gavin stood on the platform, the team circling around him.

“800, take PL to the top of the Smallwood building. You two are our bomb squad. Number one aim is to ensure whatever it is detonates as far away from civilians as possible.” Connor grabbed Simon’s arms, taking off.

“The rest of us are on patrol. There are seven locations so far and five of us. Clear it as fast and as safe as you can. You find  _ anything,  _ you call 800 and PL. We’ll move in teams.”

“I’m in. Leaving now,” Leo’s voice echoed over the comms.

“Leo, you and Seeker partner up in the fashion district. Hunter and rA9 you two start at the docks. Be safe. Come back alive.”

The group split. Gavin grabbed Niles, pulling him towards the bike as Tina and Chris grabbed theirs. “You’re with me, get on.” Gavin climbed on, and felt the bike dip as Niles got on the back.

“Come back alive,” echoed Chris and Tina on the comms.

“Alive,” echoed the heroes. 

The platform raised slowly and the moment it was level they were off, definitely breaking the legal speed limit.

_ ‘Link established. Keep my boys safe,’  _ Carl’s voice said in Gavin’s head.

_ ‘How exactly does a link work? You never explained it,’  _ Gavin asked.

_ ‘Unless you’re thinking of someone specifically your thought goes to all of us. It's a general shit show on quiet nights,’ _ Markus’ voice.

_ ‘Carl can hear all of them, he’s monitoring at all times with the link up.’  _ Niles’ voice.

Gavin nodded and parked the bike. As they arrived at the warehouse district on the outskirts of the city, Gavin felt a wordless spike of recognition from Niles.

_ ‘Niles, what is it?’ _

_ ‘This can’t be a coincidence. This just got so much worse than you could imagine.’ _

_ ‘Niles.’ _

_ ‘This is where North died. Less than five minutes from where we’re standing now. If someone called in a bomb threat here...’ _

_ ‘Niles, what aren’t you telling me?’ _

_ ‘North had the ability to turn anything explosive with a single touch.’ _

_ ‘That exists?’  _ Gavin slipped his gun out of its holster, moving to clear the area, abandoned building by abandoned building.

_ ‘Its rare. All of the gifts the Stern children possess are.’  _ Carl’s voice answered this time.  _ ‘I don’t like this. I’m calling in 800 and PL.’ _

_ ‘North was your sister.’  _ Gavin aimed his thought at Niles, who simply nodded in response.

Building by building they cleared it, until they reached an empty space, around the shape and size of the other buildings, just empty. Niles froze.

_ ‘Niles?’ _ No response. “Nines?”

“Trauma and guilt are incredible things.” A familiar voice rang from across the clearing.

Gavin turned on the spot, gun up, to see his brother face to face for the first time in over a year.

“You see, North’s death was entirely preventable. Excitable girl. Incredibly powerful.” Elijah held his hand in front of his face, wiggling his fingers. Waves of red energy danced between his fingers with small explosions throughout the waves of power.

“You know,” he continued. He did always love to hear himself talk. “She was still alive when I found her. Didn’t last long. Long enough for me to capture her power though.”

Connor dropped Simon before perching on the roof.

_ ‘The rest were fakes, others are on their way.’  _ Connor’s voice rang through his head.

_ ‘Whatever happens, don’t let Elijah touch you. We can’t afford to have any of you lose your powers. You just have to keep him talking until Seeker and Hunter arrive.’ _ Carl’s voice tagged on to Connor’s.

_ ‘Thats never been hard. Asshole loves to hear himself talk.’ _ Gavin replied, before opening his mouth. “What exactly am I choosing between, Elijah?”

“Oh, you aren’t choosing  _ now _ . This is simply an excuse to see my favourite brother again. Come now. Come closer so I can get a better look at you.”

_ ‘Gavin, no.’ _

_ ‘Niles, I’ll be fine. He wants me alive for this game of his.’ _ Gavin slowly walked towards his brother.

He stopped when he was 2 yards away, gun still drawn.

“So  _ that’s _ Niles, huh. Wouldn’t’ve pegged him for your type.”

“What the hell are you on about?”

Elijah smiled coldly and stepped closer. When he spoke, it was quiet enough that Niles didn’t hear. “Oh, I’ve seen all of it. You’re going to marry that man. Can’t focus on the date, not yet, but you will.”

_ ‘Two minutes out. Keep him talking, Gav,’  _ came Tina’s voice.

“Why exactly do you care about my future again?”

“I don’t,” Elijah’s false, cold smile dropped away as he reached out, placing a hand on Gavin’s shoulder, exerting his control. “You see, he’s your choice. Him, or the city. You could stay here, keep your pet heroes safe from my touch, or you could find the  _ actual  _ bombs placed around the city. Either way, you lose. I win.”

Gavin stood, calculating, as Connor took off with Simon and Tina and Chris returned to their hunt, this time receiving slight traces as a guide. Gavin began to retreat, never turning his back on his brother.

“Tick, tock, brother dearest.” Elijah said.

“Nothing will break through his skin, he’s impervious to all physical damage.”

“Is he? You sure about that?” Elijah raised a gun unlike any Gavin had seen before. “Wonder what North would think.”

_ ‘Something’s off,’  _ he thought at the group, as Elijah pulled the trigger. Gavin dove in front of the bullet, feeling it pierce through the thickest part of his armour, straight into his heart.

The world seemed to move in slow motion around Niles. Gavin was hit. Gavin was  _ dying,  _ in the the same way, in the same place North did. 

Elijah holstered the gun, turning on his heel and walking away.

_ ‘Stop him, Nines, you can’t let him get away,’  _ he tuned out Carl’s voice and lunged for Gavin’s collapsing body.

Niles knelt in the same place he’d knelt nearly a year ago.  _ Exactly  _ a year ago. He felt sick. He cradled Gavin’s body in his lap, holding his hand over the bullet’s entrance, trying in vain to slow the flow of blood.

“You  **idiot** ! I’m fucking bulletproof! Why!” Niles was screaming at him. 

“Something- Different- _ Wrong- _ ” was all Gavin could manage to say, reaching up to cup Niles’ face in his hand. 

“Not sorry,” he said, before slipping out of consciousness. 

“No. No! I refuse to accept this! You open your eyes right now, you  **_ASSHOLE_ ** !” Niles could feel Gavin’s heartbeat slowing.


	7. Wake Up

Niles held the fading vigilante tight to his chest, so focused on Gavin he hadn’t felt Connor swoop down and pick them up, carrying both of them. And struggling. 

It took Connor five minutes to get anywhere near their base, setting both of them down in the back garden. Niles took off running inside, carrying Gavin through the library, past Kara, Alice, Luther, and Ralph in front of the four cases, through the open door, down the hallway to the recovery room. Jerry was already there, three bags of Markus’ blood already ready to go. 

As gently as he could, Niles set Gavin down, trying not to knock any of the equipment. Once Gavin was down, he pulled a chair to the bed, winding his fingers with Gavin’s, holding his hand tight as he could.

Hours later, Jerry was finally done, and Carl shooed the rest of the team upstairs, insisting on changed clothes, showers, and a meal.

Niles was left alone, hearing the slow beat of Gavin’s heart on the monitor.

“Come on, smartass. You can’t leave. Not now. The city still needs you.”

A few moments passed and Niles stood, cupping Gavin’s pale face. “Okay asshole,  _ I  _ need you. I can’t do this, any of it, without you. You can’t leave me now. It's too soon. God, how the hell did you worm your way into my life so quickly? I don’t think I know how to  _ breathe  _ without you now.”

Nothing.

“Gavin, please.” Niles traced the scar on Gavin’s lip. “Please.”

Nothing.

“God, you’re infuriating. Are you really gonna make me say it?”

Nothing.

“Fine. I love you, you asshole. I’ve been in love with you for months. I don’t  _ care _ if you feel the same,” Niles raised Gavin’s hand to his lips, kissing his calloused knuckles. “You are  **not** allowed to die without knowing how in love with you I am.”

A slight pickup on the heart monitor.

“Who said anything about dyin',” Gavin said softly, his eyes fluttering open, cocky grin cracking his pale face.

Niles choked back a sob. “You undead  _ asshole _ ! How much did you hear?”

Gavin’s grin widened, gently sitting up. “All of it.”

Niles reached out, helping stabilize Gavin. “Oh, you asshole! I hate you.”

Gavin reached his arms out, wrapping them around Niles’ waist. “You love me,” he said softly, pulling Niles closer, “I love you too.”

Niles smiled, tears pouring down his cheeks again as Gavin pressed impossibly soft lips to his, feeling the tiny scar on his lip brush against his own. Gavin was kissing him, and he was kissing Gavin. Reaching up, Niles wrapped his arms around Gavin’s neck, winding his fingers in Gavin’s outrageously soft curls. 

It was more than Niles had ever dared to hope for.

They only broke apart when Gavin’s heart monitor beeped angrily, gasping for air, foreheads resting against each other, matching crooked grins. Niles saw the deepest green eyes he’d ever seen, and he was lost in them, desperately trying to catch his breath.

Niles pulled back, placing his hand just under the newly formed scar on Gavin’s chest. It looked too big to just be a bullet. It would’ve been so much worse without Markus’ blood. 

“God, you’re an idiot,” Niles spoke softly, feeling the fear rush back again. “What kind of person takes a bullet for a bulletproof hero, you dumb fuck. You could’ve died. You  **would’ve** died.”

“Yeah. About that, why am I not dead? Still 20% sure I’m actually dead and this is some afterlife bullshit,” Gavin muttered the last part under his breath, and Niles rolled his eyes, pressing a quick kiss to Gavin’s lips.

“Not dead.” Niles felt Gavin’s grip on his hips tighten. It almost hurt, and his skin shifted.

“Thank fuck.” He looked at Niles. “Doesn’t change the fact that I should be. What the fuck happened?”

“Markus is O-, and if properly preserved, his blood carries enough of his healing over that it's saved our asses more times than we can count. We keep a stockpile of it just in case.” Niles ran his fingers over the new scar again. “Jerry sent one of his clones to medical school, he pulled the bullet out. They’re analyzing it now. And when it turns out to just be a regular bullet I’m going to yell at you again.”

“Didn’t feel like a regular bullet.” Gavin placed his hand over Niles’ as he rested his hand over the scar. “Our suits are built with military grade kevlar, reinforced under armour and a specific fireproof treated leather. Normal bullets don’t get through them. At point blank, normal bullets only leave tiny bruises. Elijah was a good six yards away when he fired.”

Niles glared, opening his mouth to retort when Gavin stopped him. “I can’t lose you either, Niles. Elijah said your name. He knew who you are. He knew about North. He knew her. He let her die and stole her power. Elijah knows everything. Past, present, future. All of it.”

Niles didn’t get it, Gavin could tell. How was he supposed to get across the fact that his brother was more dangerous than the most dangerous person Niles could imagine? Elijah was a genius, a prodigy. He was dangerous and unstable. He saw Niles’ eyes darken at the mention of his sister, Gavin had seen this look before. He was planning something.

“Promise me you won’t go after him.”

“I can’t do that. He nearly destroyed the city. He nearly killed you, Gavin. He can’t get away with this.”

“He won’t.” Gavin bumped his nose against Niles’, trying to pull him back from whatever cliff he was planning to jump off. “But rushing in head first won’t help. Not now.” Gavin lifted Niles’ hand from his chest, kissing his fingers gently. “So promise me.”

The look in Niles’ eyes dissipated as he scanned Gavin’s face, murmuring softly, “Alright. I promise.”

_ ‘If you are able, we’re debriefing in 5.’ _ Carl’s voice was soft, not an order but a request.

_ ‘We’ll be there.’ _ Niles’ voice echoed in his head. Gavin nodded before taking his eyes off of Niles face.

“You are  _ covered  _ in blood,” Gavin said, taking in the blood soaked suit. “You should probably change.”

“And you should probably put a shirt on. For them, at least.” Gavin grinned. Niles sounded reluctant about getting Gavin a shirt.

“Like what you see?”

Niles glared playfully, kissing Gavin again. God, Gavin didn’t ever want him to stop. Then Gavin felt some of the cold, semi-dried sticky blood touch his chest and he shoved Niles away. “Yeah, okay, that's gross. Get changed. It's  **_sticky_ ** _. _ ”

“You know this is your blood, right?”

“I’m aware. It's cold and sticky. I don’t like it.”

“I have literally seen you run your fingers through cold puddles of blood.”

“Yea, to cover up that I was the one who handled it.”

“Handled?”

“You guys still have some semblance of faith in the DPD. You still drop your catches off. We don’t.” Gavin’s eyes had shifted to a frigid grey. Niles shivered at the quick change. 

“We handle it ourselves. Sometimes that means taking a life or a limb.” Gavin spoke with such conviction, it scared Niles. He remembered the first time he’d run into Protector. They had been chasing the same person, it was the first of many times, but Protector got them first, and within minutes the person was bleeding out on the sidewalk.

Niles had watched in shock as he contacted Connor for evac. Protector just walked over the dying person and disappeared onto a rooftop. 

That's who was speaking, who was strategizing, not bothering to explain the reasoning behind his practices. Protector was cold and calculating, and in Gavin’s expression he could tell that he and Elijah were brothers.

Their cold expressions matched, nearly perfectly identical even.

“Gavin, why did you choose to join the DPD when you knew how corrupt they were?”

“Fowler.” Gavin supplied, as Niles went to the closet that sat flush with the back wall. 

“He and Hank showed up at a career fair in Elijah’s junior year. I’d been doing nothing but trying to clean up the city alone for two years at that point. Elijah and Cole told me to meet them at base and Hank and Fowler were there.

“Fowler wasn’t captain yet. Wasn’t even a lieutenant, same as Hank. They were there in our base, but it wasn’t ours. They’d brought all sorts of shit with them. Better computers, with access to DPD files, scanners, more reliable comms, all of it. They helped us expand. Kept us safe.

“I wouldn’t be alive without them.” Gavin opened his mouth before stopping himself, pulling on the t-shirt Niles had tossed him. It was probably one of Simon’s at some point.

Niles pulled the top of the suit over his head, tossing it in a basket in the corner. He waited for Gavin to continue and when he didn’t, Niles turned to look at him.

Gavin had laid back down, eyes closed.

“Gavin?” Niles called, worry permeating his voice.

“Just a little light-headed. It’ll pass.”

“Jerry’s probably got more food. I’ll get him to send something down.”

Gavin hummed in agreement, his eyes still closed, as Niles retreated to the corner to change.

Gavin lay there, eyes closed until the dizziness passed. There were swirling colours around his vision. It’d made him dizzy, so he laid down and closed his eyes until they went away. 

When he opened his eyes he looked around the room, catching a glimpse of Niles’ body before he pulled a pair of sweatpants on. Gavin looked away quickly; he didn’t want to invade his privacy, but  _ damn, _ he wasn’t going to be getting that image out of his head. Didn’t exactly want to either.

Gavin only looked over when he felt Niles place a hand on his shoulder. “Do you think you can walk?”

Gavin looked up at him. “Probably?”

“That isn’t exactly inspiring a great deal of confidence, Detective Reed.”

Gavin raised an eyebrow and Niles cleared his throat. “Old habits die hard.” He almost looked embarrassed. Gavin sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed.

Niles wrapped an arm around Gavin’s waist, studying him as he stood. Gavin threw an arm around Niles’ shoulder, leaning on him as he took a careful first step and saw the colours flood back into view, not as strong this time, like ghosts of colours floating across his vision. 

Gavin felt his knees buckle and started to fall, then blinked and he was in Niles’ arms, being cradled gently against the hero’s chest.

“Gavin, we don’t have to go. You need to recover.”

“I need to hear this. I need to know-” He trailed off, not wanting to say out loud what he was thinking.

“You need to know your city’s safe.” Niles finished for him, and when Gavin didn’t correct him Niles felt his expression soften. “Alright,” he said softly. “But you aren’t walking.”

Niles began walking down the hall to the debrief room. Gavin rested his head on Niles’ shoulder, wrapping his other arm around Niles neck, holding onto the hero.

When they reached the end of the hallway, Niles turned, using his hip to slide the door open to the empty room. Then, gently setting Gavin down in a chair, he grabbed another and sat down next to him.

Gavin reached over and took Niles’ hand, weaving their fingers together as the rest of the team trickled in. Tina wrapped Gavin in a tight hug and Chris placed a plate of food in front of him. Connor appeared on Niles’ other side, sitting next to him and placing an identical plate of food in front of him.

“Eat. Both of you,” Hank said, sitting on Gavin’s other side. 

Carl wheeled in, stopping in the front of the room.

“First things first, none of the activated objects detonated anywhere near people. No one was harmed and the total property damage has been calculated at $237.”

Niles let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, and felt Gavin do the same next to him. 

“But we did discover something disconcerting.” Carl pulled up the image of the bullet. It was terrifying. Four barbs extended from the tip. Niles felt a pang in his heart. That had been  **_inside_ ** Gavin, it had torn apart his heart.  “This is a nasty bullet without it being made of concentrated thirium.”

Niles froze, as did every member of his family.

“What’s thirium?” Tina asked, looking around confused.

A long silence followed, and one by one the heroes turned to look at Niles, who broke the silence. “Thirium is an incredibly rare metal. Somewhere around 2 cubic meters have ever been found.” Niles took a deep breath, looking Gavin in the eyes. “Thirium is the one thing my skin can’t block. It’s the only thing that can hurt me.”

Niles felt Gavin tighten his grip on his hand, crushing his fingers. “So if I hadn’t...”

“I wouldn’t be here.” 

Niles felt his heart shatter as a new expression crossed Gavin’s face. It was subtle of a change. Something likely no one else was picking up on, but the slight change, and Gavin’s eyes becoming a deep forest green, it broke Niles.

It was like Gavin felt the world fall out from under him, he had to grab hold tighter, convince himself that Niles was safe. Niles was  _ here. _ He’d almost lost him. He was seconds away from it.

Then he felt angry. Elijah had pried. He had stolen Hank’s powers, and used them to break into Gavin’s future, a future where he was  _ happy  _ and he decided to stop it. To end it. To keep it from happening. To keep him from being happy.

He wasn’t angry. He was  **_furious_ ** . 

Niles watched as Gavin’s eyes shifted again, to black. He was full of rage, Niles could feel it radiating off of him in waves. 

_ ‘If you could please keep your, ahem, fantasies to yourself that would be appreciated.’  _ Carl’s voice rang through Niles head and he turned away from Gavin to meet Carl’s eyes.

“You could just keep out. You don’t have to look.”

“You’re thinking them incredibly loudly.”

“So tune them out.”

Carl cleared his throat. “In light of this, I’d like to extend an invitation to you. We have many guest houses on this property; I know I’d feel safer if you were here under our protection. If your families were.”

Tina nodded, as did Chris, the two of them excusing themselves to call their partners.


	8. Cats and Projections

A few moments later Tina returned, leaning down next to Gavin. “Vanessa wants to know what to do about Asshole and Peaches.”

“Tell her to bring them, Elijah is exactly the kind of person who’d take this out on my cats.”

Tina left and Niles grinned.

“What?” Gavin asked defensively, starting to eat his food.

“You have cats?” Niles began to eat his own food.

“Yeah, two. Asshole and Peaches.”

“Creative names.”

“Says the person who changed a single letter in their name for their codename.”

“It was easy and it fit the theme!”

“Mhm, sure, tincan.”

“What did those two creatures do to deserve such names? Specifically Asshole.”

“He kept showing up at crime scenes and following me around. I brought him home and he pissed on my couch. That I had just bought. For a few thousand dollars.”

“And Peaches?”

“A neighbour’s mom’s cat had kittens. One was named Cream, the other was Peaches. He used to be super fuzzy rather than furry or soft, so it just stuck.”

_ ‘I’m going to bunk with Hank if you’re going to have Gavin stay with you,’ _ Connor’s voice echoed in his head as the group exited the room to help escort Tina and Chris’ families, leaving Gavin and Niles alone.

Niles felt Gavin reach out and he allowed himself to be pulled into Gavin’s lap. He felt Gavin rest his chin on his shoulder as Niles finished his food.

“You can’t go back to your apartment. And you’re going to have to call out from work.”

“Wasn’t planning to, and why? I feel fine.”

“For now. Markus’ blood takes its toll the next day. You’re going to be exhausted tomorrow.”

Gavin harrumphed.

“You can call out  _ once  _ in nearly 15 years of being a detective. It won’t kill your record.” Niles finished and spun around in Gavin’s lap, threading his fingers together behind Gavin’s neck, kissing him slowly, softly. 

It was so addicting kissing him, Niles could forget about Elijah Kamski, forget about his powers, his jobs. He forgot thought itself, just losing himself in Gavin. 

He pulled back when Gavin started coughing, brow furrowed. “You okay?”

“Fine.” Gavin wheezed. “Keep forgetting to breathe.” 

Niles laughed softly, resting his forehead on Gavin’s. “Stay with me. Please. I don’t think I can sleep without you close by. Not tonight.”

“Okay.” Gavin spoke softly, nudging his nose against Niles’.

They stayed like that, contained and content, until Vanessa arrived and a desperate  _ ‘Help us goddammit these things are feral’ _ came from Leo.

Gavin rolled his eyes.  _ ‘They aren’t  _ **_feral,_ ** _ they just don’t like you.’ _

So they untangled themselves, exiting the library and returning to the front foyer where Leo was holding Peaches by the scruff, arm extended, and Markus and Simon were juggling Asshole between them, his claws out.

“Oh, my babies, what are they doing to you?!” Gavin pushed himself out of Niles’ arms and rushed forward, rescuing his cats. “Some heroes you are. Can’t even handle a cat.”

Peaches purred, settling around his neck, and Asshole settled in his arms. Leo, Markus, and Simon looked on in shock. “Those things were  _ vicious _ how the hell-”

“They just don’t like you,” Gavin interrupted Leo. “And with good reason. What kind of person holds a cat by their scruff just letting it hang there?!”

Gavin turned and made his way up the stairs before Leo could answer, Markus, Simon and Niles’ laughter following him as he made his way upstairs. He turned down the hall he’d walked down the day before and stopped when he was just in the hall and out of view of Markus, Simon, and Leo. He huffed, trying to catch his breath. Nearly dying was hard. Probably shouldn’t have walked up the stairs. But dammit, his babies were being  _ tormented _ .

Niles’ soft laughter got closer. “Need a hand?”

“Please.” Gavin said. Asshole was getting rangy and wanted to explore, and Peaches wanted to eat. The ginger kitten was nibbling Gavin’s ear.

Niles opened the door, propping it open with a chair before returning and carrying Gavin and the cats inside and shutting it tight the moment they were inside.

“What’s with the slamming door?”

“Sorry. Connor’s allergic. Badly.”

“Niles, why didn’t you tell me? I would’ve been perfectly happy staying somewhere else!”

“Connor’s bunking with Hank in one of the homes. They’re gonna keep working on cases.”

Gavin looked at Niles, trying to figure out when exactly this conversation had happened, as Niles gently placed him on the bed. Either while he was out cold or telepathically. Gavin frowned as Asshole leaped from his arms, sniffing at Niles before pawing at his leg.

Gavin watched as Niles knelt down next to the long-haired persian, gently reaching out to let Asshole sniff his hand. Asshole nudged it, purring softly.

“Well, that's a done deal. You’re Asshole’s now.” Gavin said, sitting on the bed watching Niles and his cat.

“What the hell did Markus and Simon do? He’s a big cuddly baby!” Niles’ incredulous voice was soft, and Gavin smiled, watching in awe as the tall, bulletproof, and endowed with super strength hero gently pet Asshole the cat.

“He likes you.” 

“Awww.” Niles gently picked up Asshole, cradling him in his lap. “You like me.”

Whatever was left of Gavin’s heart that hadn’t been ripped to shreds by that bullet melted. This was a side of Niles Gavin had never seen before. He was  _ soft _ and he was  _ open _ . Gavin knew that if anyone hurt Niles he would hunt them down and end them.

Forget the fact that Elijah had nearly killed him seven times, had nearly killed his best friends, he needed to find him, and end him, because he was coming after Niles. 

_ “Oh, I’ve seen all of it. You’re going to marry that man. Can’t focus on the date, not yet, but you will.” _

Elijah’s words echoed in Gavin’s mind. Over, and over. In what universe could Gavin ever be worthy of Niles? Yet, somehow. Somehow, this hero  _ loved  _ him.

Finding out he was Protector didn’t scare him away like it should’ve. He was a murderer. Sure, it was to protect the city, or at least that was what he’d told himself, but he was good at it. Blood didn’t bother him, but then again, nothing did when he was working.

When he was working he was cold, calculating. He was Elijah. 

But Niles, who had seen him at his coldest, at his most calculating, he loved him. And according to Elijah, that wouldn’t change. 

“What’re you thinking?” Niles asked, sitting on the end of the bed. Too far away from Gavin.

Gavin reached his arms out to Niles, who stood up and moved to sit next to Gavin, who wrapped his arms around Niles, pressing a kiss to his head.

“I’m glad I took the bullet.” Was all Gavin said, looking at the face of the man he loved. “I’m not sure how I could’ve kept going without you.”

“You were doing great without me.”

“No I wasn’t.” Gavin stared at Niles’ eyes, memorizing them, where the gold flecks sat, making patterns out of them in his mind. “I’m lucky if I can get to work in one functioning piece. Besides, you’re the one who informed me that my solve rate has skyrocketed since we partnered up.”

Gavin leaned over, kissing Niles’ proud grin. It was unreserved, unlike the last time Gavin had seen it, when Fowler had announced last month that the two of them had the highest solve rate by more than double. And damn if that grin wasn’t the most kissable. Even when it was reserved, Gavin realized, looking back on it, even then he’d been hit with an urge to reach over to Niles and kiss his stupid little grin.

Niles sighed into Gavin’s lips, reaching up one hand to run his finger along a scar that ran just under Gavin’s jawline, and another to trace a scar across his hip. 

“How do you have any skin left?” Niles said, pressing a kiss to the end of a scar that ran across his nose and down onto his cheek.

Gavin’s gentle laughter reverberated through Niles’ body, pressing a kiss to his fingers as he traced the one on his lip. “Not entirely sure. Though until today I’d gone five years without getting a new one.”

Niles nodded, looking at Gavin. “When you were talking about Elijah earlier, there was something you didn’t say.”

Gavin shifted, sitting up a little straighter. Niles felt him tense in his arms. “You don’t have to-”

“No it’s....” Gavin took a deep breath. “I don’t know if you know this, but Hank has a son. His name’s Cole. He was my original overwatch. He was- he  _ is _ \- my best friend.

"About a year ago, Elijah found one of our bases. I was out on patrol early, and Tina and Chris hadn’t arrived yet. Cole was the only one there. He tried to hold off Elijah. I heard him call for help over the comm and by the time I got there... Elijah had detonated the building. Which, knowing what I know now, lines up with when he stole North’s power.

"Either way, I got there too late. Tina, Chris, and I dug through the rubble for hours. We couldn’t call it in because the cops would arrest us first, and we’d be fucked. So we dug. And dug. Four hours later we found him. He was still conscious, barely. He was losing blood fast, had some brain damage, ‘cause he could barely make a noise. I dragged him out, drove him to the nearest hospital, and we called Hank.”

Gavin’s grip on Niles tightened. “He’s been in a coma for ten months. Every month the hospital calls and asks Hank to rethink his decision and unplug him. They just want the bed, but he’s still showing brain waves.

"When we go to visit, his neurological activity spikes, he’s still there. He just can’t get out. He’s stuck and we can’t do anything.”

Gavin sighed. “He’s got powers too. He’s crazy fast, it's what made him so good. He’s crazy smart too.”

Niles’ heart ached at every word Gavin said. He wanted to help. The man he loved had been carrying this guilt since he’d met him. 

The two of them sat in silence, and Niles felt Gavin fall asleep slowly, his breathing slowing. This time he didn’t have to wait with fear for Gavin’s chest to rise again. It was perfectly rhythmic. Gavin was safe, and he was healing, and he was sleeping.

Carefully Niles untangled himself from Gavin, gently tucking him in as he stood. He still smelt like blood and sweat. He needed a shower.

Walking into his bathroom and shutting the door quietly he ran the water, stripping off his clothes and sending them down the chute. Looking in the mirror he realized he had blood in his  _ hair _ . 

_ Well that's one way to stop bad habits, _ he thought to himself, realizing that he’d been nervously running his blood soaked hands through his hair while waiting for Gavin to wake.

When the water came up to temperature Niles stepped in, washing the blood from his hair, cleaning himself up and letting the water wash away the stress of the day.

He stood under the warm water for a few more minutes before getting out, rubbing a towel on his soaking hair and wrapping another around his hips. Then he heard it: Gavin’s whimpers and quiet shouts, which shot through Niles like lightning.

Throwing the door open, he was greeted by an insane sight. All around Gavin were people. All of them bearing weapons, some had guns, some had batons, some had knives, all of them turned on Gavin. Niles sprung into action, hitting the person closest to him.

And his hand went right through. Niles frowned, and sprinted through several more illusions. He went through all of them, sticking his hand or leg or whole body through them.

“Gavin! Wake up!” Niles spoke loudly, gently shaking Gavin awake, pulling him up. “Wake up! It isn’t real!”

Gavin’s eyes shot open, fear in his deep hazel eyes. The illusions stayed and Gavin looked around in panic, trying to get up, struggling against Niles, who was struggling to hold Gavin back from attacking. 

“Gavin, they aren’t real. They’re just illusions,” Niles said, extending his hand to the closest, silent, snarling, armed illusion, waving his hand straight through him.

Gavin’s eyes widened, and he stopped fighting against Niles’ arms. “I need you to calm down, Gavin. Calm down.” Niles spoke softly, moving his hands from Gavin’s shoulders to cup his face. “As long as I’m here, I won’t let anything get to you.”

Gavin closed his eyes, slowing his breathing and forcing himself to calm down. Niles watched in awe as the illusions disappeared. All of them just evaporated into thin air.

“Gavin, I-” Niles trailed off as he felt Gavin slump in his arms, exhausted and already asleep. Niles gently laid Gavin back down before standing up and pulling on a pair of pajama pants.

Niles crawled into bed with Gavin, curling into his side and resting his head on Gavin’s chest, listening close to the beat of Gavin’s still working heart.


	9. Calling Out

Gavin woke up from a mostly dreamless sleep, aside from the regular nightmare. This time though, Niles was there, but he was telling him-

“Oh shit.” Gavin whispered under his breath. Part of it had been real. He’d woken up, woken up to Niles holding him and them surrounded by people Gavin had killed. The faces he never forgot. He’d gone to fight them but Niles had stopped him, told him they weren’t real. When he closed his eyes to calm down and opened them he’d watched them all disappear. And then he’d felt exhausted, and passed out.

Niles shifted beside him and Gavin looked down at Niles, still asleep. Gavin smiled softly, leaning down and burying his face in Niles’ hair. He didn’t smell like blood anymore. He must’ve showered. He smelled nice and clean. Gavin inhaled deeply, memorizing every detail so when Niles eventually came to his senses he’d still be able to keep his memories as close to perfect as possible.

“What’re you doing?” Came a sleepy, soft voice from Niles, and Gavin’s heart skipped a beat.

“Double triple checking I’m not dreaming.”

Niles looked up at him. “You aren’t dreaming.”

“Good.” Gavin leaned down, kissing Niles.

_ I could get used to this,  _ Gavin thought to himself before a fit of coughing took over.

Niles was up immediately, helping him sit up and holding him there until the coughing fit was gone. When he’d stopped coughing he gasped for breath, and Niles disappeared into the bathroom, coming back with a glass of water.

“Gavin, you need to breathe.”

“Yeah, but kissing you is much better than breathing,” Gavin grinned as Niles flushed bright red, handing him the glass of water. 

“You- shut up,” Niles stuttered as Gavin drank the water, putting it down on the side table.

“Make me,” Gavin smirked. He’d lost count of how many times he’d used that retort whenever Niles told him to shut up. 

This time, though, Niles didn’t roll his eyes and walk away or return to work. Instead, he straddled Gavin and smirked down at him, and, tangling his fingers in Gavin’s hair, Niles leaned down and made Gavin shut up.

_ ‘Detective Reed, you have approximately five minutes to call out of work or be recorded as MIA by your department, which, given the activities you engaged in yesterday, would be less than ideal. For all of us.’ _ Gavin groaned as Carl’s voice echoed. The man really did have the worst timing.

“We gotta call out, tin can,” he muttered against Niles’ lips, who also groaned, pulling back and rolling off of Gavin’s lap, grabbing his phone and dialing Fowler.

“Hello, Captain Fowler? Yes, it’s Niles Stern. Yes, unfortunately I’ve had a family emergency come up. They have? Thank you.” It was at this point Gavin grew impatient, reaching over and dragging Niles back towards him, kissing his neck, grinning as Niles had to clear his throat. 

“Yes. I’m afraid Detective Reed won’t be able to make it in either, he was helping out and we think he’s caught something.” Gavin smirked, gently nipping at Niles’ neck, as a quiet moan escaped his lips, and Niles flushed what may be Gavin’s new favourite colour.

“Thank you for understanding. You too.” And with that Niles flung the phone back onto the side table as Gavin bit down again, a little harder this time. He  **was** going to leave a mark on Niles. Fucking bulletproof skin.

But he wasn’t activating it. He was letting Gavin do this, letting him mark his neck with bruises. He was threading his hands through Gavin’s hair and pulling him closer.

Gavin slid his hands up Niles’ bare back, pulling him back into his lap as Niles’ head fell back.

Then Asshole appeared, trotting into the bedroom with Peaches close on his tail, both yowling for breakfast.

Niles let out a soft groan of annoyance, shooting a glare at the cats. Gavin laughed to himself, Niles was  _ pouting _ and it was  _ adorable _ . Gavin gently nudged Niles’ side and he untangled himself from Gavin, throwing himself on the bed dramatically.

Gavin smiled, leaning over and kissing Niles’ cheek, whispering, “You’re adorable when you pout.”

Niles grumbled in protest, though Gavin couldn’t make out any of the words as he went to the kitchen to look for  _ something  _ to feed his cats. He got to the dresser when he had to stop. He leaned against it, careful not to knock over the photo of Niles’ family.

Niles was by his side in a second, arm wrapping around Gavin’s waist and scooping him into his arms. 

“Gavin, don’t push yourself.” Worry permeated his voice. Gavin sighed, relaxing into his arms, already exhausted.

“You’re cute when you’re worried,” he said sleepily, nuzzling into Niles’ chest.

“You need to eat before you pass out again.”

“Mmmkay,” Gavin said, eyes still closed. “Cats. Feed cats too.”

“You got it.” Niles carried Gavin into the kitchen, setting him down in one of the island chairs. “Let's see.”

Niles went to the fridge, where he found a sticky note attached:

_ Saw the cats, food under the sink- Jerries _

Niles opened the cabinet under the sink and there was, indeed, cat food. He picked it up, placing it in front of Gavin.

“Will this be okay for them?”

Gavin spun the bag around, reading the ingredients carefully. “It's better than the no name brand they usually get, rich boy.”

Niles rolled his eyes fondly, pulling two ramekins out of the cupboard and placing them on the counter in front of Gavin, who measured out the food for each cat with his hands. Peaches and Asshole jumped onto the counter and Gavin set the dishes apart in front of each cat.

Niles smiled, watching how much Gavin cared for them. Niles opened the cupboard and pulled the healthy cereal down, tapping the back wall to open a panel.

“I hope to god you’re not going to make me eat  _ that, _ ” Gavin said with disgust, pointing to the health cereal.

“Oh, fuck no.” Niles turned around with a box of Lucky Charms in one hand and Cocoa Puffs in the other. “Puffs or Charms?”

“Both,” Gavin said.

“Right answer.” Niles grinned, pouring two bowls of the mixed sugary cereal, grabbing soy milk out of the fridge and setting it in front of Gavin.

“You really pay attention to shit, don’t you?”

“Your lactose allergy was on your file.”

“You read my file?” 

Niles flushed. Of course he had. The second he’d met Gavin, he was attached. He’d needed to know more about the man he’d been partnered with. He just nodded in answer, and began to eat his food to try and cover his embarrassment.

“What exactly is in this file you read on me?”

“Do you want the nice version, the honest version, or the stuff I actually made special note of?”

“Honest and the stuff you made note of.”

“Well, you have no living parents, and a younger brother. His name’s not in the file, though. Fowler and Detective Chen are listed as your emergency contacts.”

“Hank erased Elijah from my file when he left.”

“You’re very allergic to lactose and bees and most fruits, slightly allergic to hydrangeas, petunias and tiger lilies.”

“Bees do follow me though. It's terrifying.”

“And then there’s your court record.”

Gavin nodded. “What all is in there?”

“You were arrested on suspicion of vigilantism, but released when Protector surfaced while you were in custody.”

“One and only time Cole went into the field.”

“You were called to give testimony in 150 cases over your 12 years as a detective. You joined the DPD as a beat cop in 2023, you were 21. You’d worked as an intern during your training from 2020 to 2022.”

“Anything else?”

Niles looked over at Gavin, and spoke with a gentleness. “You fought welfare to gain custody of your 16 year old younger brother when your father died. You were 17.”

Gavin nodded, swallowing his food. “I thought I’d be able to take care of him. Make him into a better person than some random family we didn’t know would.” He took a sip of his water. “Turns out, I was wrong.”

“You were a kid, Gavin.” Niles reached over and brushed a curl out of Gavin’s face. “The very first thing Carl taught us was that we’re only one person, powers or not. And one person can’t save the world. You can’t save everyone.”

“Yeah, but he was my little brother. I became Protector to protect him from the city. Make it safe for him.”

“Gavin, he chose things he would know hurt you. Why would you try to protect him when he never did the same for you?”

“Cause he’s my brother,” Gavin sighed, finishing his food. “You can’t tell me you wouldn’t’ve done the same for Connor, even if he went full on supervillain like Elijah has.”

Niles nodded, he would. He knew he would. Connor always gave his all in everything; it scared Niles, if he was honest with himself. Connor left himself open to harm in so many ways. He trusted openly, even though they worked the same job, saw the same things, what people were capable of doing to each other; he still trusted. Niles couldn’t understand how he could do that.

“I always knew Elijah was the favourite. Even before my mom died and I moved in with them. Dad would celebrate his birthday, not mine. He would go to Elijah’s science fairs but he never once showed up for a game. He was the favourite. Probably still would be if Dad was still around.”

Niles sensed Gavin wasn’t telling him something, but he decided not to push. 

“Was there anything else in the file?”

“Your birthday is October 7th, 2002.” Niles finished his food. “That's all in the official file.”

“ _ Official _ file?”

Niles flushed again, and Gavin grinned Niles’ favourite cocky grin. “You made your own file on me, didn’t you?”

“I have one on all people I interact with on a regular basis. It helps me understand them.”

Gavin laughed fondly at that; Niles felt the burn in his cheeks grow. 

“God, I love you.” Gavin leaned over and kissed Niles’ red cheek before adding, “even if you are a dork.”

“I love you too,” Niles muttered, still embarrassed that Gavin had figured out about his own file.

“Can I ask what’s in this file?”

“You can, but you won’t learn a lot.”

“Oh, come on. Tell me something!”

Niles rolled his eyes, picking up the bowls and cups and sending them down the chute.

“Your favourite flowers are purple roses, you’re absolutely obsessed with coffee flavoured with Iannantuono’s vanilla syrup. You live alone.” As if on cue Asshole demanded attention. “Well, aside from the most adorable cats.” 

Gavin laughed, “Those are all right. Anything else?”

“A quick internet search turned up a bunch of articles about your cases, but if you go far enough back you can find a high school paper featuring an interview with you about being the captain of the hockey team that broke a several year losing streak.”

Gavin grinned proudly. “First place for the first time in 20 years. And first openly queer captain. Also probably the first vigilante the team spawned.” He laughed to himself. “I used to use hockey pads for armour before I actually started working. Bought the first bullet-proof suit around three years after I started. How I survived that long on  _ hockey equipment _ is anyone’s guess. Oh, don’t look at me like that.”

Niles realized he’d looked at Gavin with worry when he mentioned not using field safe equipment. He blinked at the vigilante. “Gavin, you could’ve  _ died. _ Do you even  _ have  _ self-preservation instincts?”

Gavin shrugged. “I survived long enough to buy my first kevlar suit. Didn’t honestly expect to keep going this long. I’ll admit I was planning on retiring next year, but then you all showed up.”

“Which means you could’ve retired with  _ peace of mind.  _ I do not understand your thinking there.”

“Spite, my love. I have been running on nothing but spite and caffeine for six months.”

**_My love_ ** . Niles grinned a big goofy grin; he was Gavin’s love. The badass vigilante who had torn down criminal empires was sitting in his kitchen, laughing, joking, and calling Niles  **_his love_ ** . 

Dammit, this man owned his heart. Completely.


	10. Realizations

Niles wrapped his arms around Gavin, picking him up again and carrying him to the chair in the corner, plopping him down gently as he picked up the first of the watering contraptions he’d built with Ralph’s help to take care of his little corner garden.

“Those are a lot of plants.” Gavin stated, watching Niles.

“Yes, Sherlock. There are 52. No hydrangeas, petunias, or tiger lilies though.”

“I would’ve noticed by now if there were.” Gavin smiled sleepily.

“Gavin, you can sleep. It helps the crash, trust me.” Niles began to take care of his corner garden.

_ How the hell do pajama pants do more for his ass than his suit? _ Gavin thought to himself. Out loud he asked, “How many times have you had to have some good ol’ Markus blood?”

“A couple times in training when I expended too much energy I’d get hit by Josh or Leo and I’d wind up on bed rest for a week with Markus blood.”

“You’re bulletproof.”

“Not all the time. I have to activate it, and it takes energy to. You remember the Koger factory mission?” Gavin nodded. It had been a long fight, four hours and twenty six minutes. Gavin had taken care of about twenty goons, he’d let them go.

“After that fight I passed out for 31 hours. Out cold. Connor had to call out for me.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah, we trained to up our endurance, physically and mentally. Our powers sap both. It's like over-extending an elastic band for me. If I keep it up for too long it snaps back and I’m back to normal squishy human skin. Well, not normal. My natural skin is still harder to break, a normal human likely couldn’t cut me, but someone with super strength definitely could.

“I got some Markus blood after Koger, to recover physically. We all did. Even Markus.”

“How the hell do you keep so stocked up on it?”

“We don’t go through that much, but Markus regenerates his blood crazy fast too. He generally has blood draws once a day, and then they get stored by expiration date. If they expire, we destroy them. Too much genetic code in them that could get traced back to Markus.”

Niles laughed. “When we first started this, Markus was 17; we’d all been going to a private school because Carl wanted us to have a normal life, and until he and Simon got together, every single blood draw came with a string of STI tests.” 

Gavin laughed. “Poor guy.”

“Oh, it gets worse. When he and Simon got together they had been out of the house. So Carl kept up with the tests the day he got back and when he finally realized why Markus was fighting him on it he insisted Simon get tested too, so for a month they both had daily STI tests.”

Niles finished watering his plants, and went over to his favourite plant. It was a genetically engineered rose bush, about half the size of a regular rose bush. He picked up his clippers and picked a purple rose smaller than his thumb yet completely open, removing the thorns. 

“What’re you doing now?”

Niles turned around, keeping the rose behind his back as he walked back over to the chair. “Hold out your hand and close your eyes.”

Gavin rolled his eyes, but did as he was told, and Niles gently wrapped Gavin’s fingers around the thornless stem. He held Gavin’s outstretched hand between his. “Open them.”

Niles watched a soft smile cross Gavin’s face as he slowly turned the rose, lifting it up and smelling it. 

“Sap.” Gavin teased softly, holding the flower close to his chest.

“You should get changed, Gav. You’re still in your suit pants.”

“Mhmmm.” Gavin reached up to Niles who obliged, picking him up and carrying him back to the bedroom. While Niles went to grab some comfier clothes for Gavin, he pulled a small device from his pocket, around an inch tall in all. It was designed to suspend an object, unchanging. Opening the top of the container he removed the blood sample he’d forgotten to run the other night, and slid the small rose into it, closing it back up and sliding it back into his pocket.

When Niles returned he’d pulled a shirt on. Gavin glared at the offending garment.

“What? Oh.” Niles blushed Gavin’s favourite shade of red. “Stop it.”

Gavin rolled his eyes and pulled the borrowed shirt off. His chest was covered in dried blood.

“I think I may need to shower first.”

“Yeah. Uh, yeah.” Niles said, looking at him. “I don’t trust you to stand that long though.”

“Me either, to be honest.”

“Okay, here’s what we’re going to do. I’ll put you in the shower and close the curtain, you can hand me your pants and I’ll store them with Chris and Tina’s suits, then you can fiddle with the water and shower and when you’re done I’ll hand you a towel. And then I’ll bring you back in here and you can get changed.”

“Damn. Good plan,” Gavin smiled, holding his arms out to Niles, who scooped him up.

“You know, we could borrow one of Carl’s spare chairs.”

“Yes, but Carl’s spare chairs don’t have a very kissable face.”

Niles laughed, placing Gavin on the shower floor, before closing the curtain as promised.

“I’ll be in the room,” he said, closing the door.

Gavin reached up. He could easily reach the temperature controls from here. He threw his pants out the shower curtain and at the door, and started the water, washing the blood off of his body and washing his hair. 

God, he still had some gel in it from the gallery opening. How much had changed in three days.

Elijah was alive, and intent on destroying Gavin’s happiness, which apparently included whatever future was in store for him and Niles.

**_Him and Niles_ ** .

He hadn’t told Niles what Elijah had said to him - he didn’t know if he wanted to. If him knowing had been what gave him hope that Niles had felt the same, his confession in the recovery room had been confirmation. He’d missed the first few words, but the rest of it echoed in the darkness.

Niles needed him. Niles Stern  _ loved _ him. The nationally famous hero known as Nines loved Gavin Reed. 

Gavin Reed, who no one knew. They knew Protector. They felt safe with Protector around. He’d seen newspapers report on his approval ratings since he appeared twenty years ago. The lowest he’d ever gotten was 67%, and that was after he’d exposed and harmed a famous movie star in the area for running a Red Ice operation out of his “movie lot”.

But no one knew Gavin Reed. No one knew that he was still that scared second grader whose father had threatened to disown him after he held hands with a kid at recess and the parent volunteer had told him. No one knew that he was the 18 year old holding the first man he’d ever loved in his arms as he’d died, right after they’d won the championship and Gavin kissed him for the first time less than four hours before. No one knew that he’d taken off his mask, told him who he was and he’d kissed him as he bled out, too far from a hospital to get help.

Then again, what he’d learned about Niles the past three days, more than he’d learned in the previous six months combined, made him think that maybe no one knew Niles Stern either.

No one knew about the third Stern sibling who had died on a training mission. No one knew the guilt Niles carried about it, about the fact that his brother had chosen him, not her, to save. No one knew that Niles had trained for twenty years, the Niles that had learned how to kill at 15, and then learned the restraint to know when to incapacitate instead. No one knew the soft Niles who built files on people to understand them, where he notated favourite flowers that he then gave as gifts.

There were many versions of Niles Stern, just as there were many versions of Gavin Reed. 

And Gavin knew that he wanted to know them all, to learn everything about Niles, and to love every piece of Niles he’d earned the chance to know.

Gavin finished cleaning up and turned off the water, squeezing the extra from his hair. A towel appeared above him and Gavin struggled to wrap it around his body sitting down, but he managed.

“I’m decent.”

Niles opened the curtain and stared at Gavin. “I’d argue the contrary. You are nowhere near decent. But, I suppose this is as close as it’s going to get.”

Niles scooped Gavin into his arms and kissed him, and Gavin wanted nothing more than to have Niles pin him against the shower wall and ravage him.

Instead, Niles carried him back to the room and sat him on the bed next to a pile of clothes for him to pick from, then turned back into the bathroom, closing the door to give Gavin some privacy.

Gavin looked through the pile, pulling out a hoodie (that looked strangely like one he’d left in a squad car during a stakeout) and a pair of pajama shorts, pulling the hoodie on first, then pulling on the shorts. He then promptly collapsed on the bed, falling asleep almost immediately.

Niles waited for five minutes after he stopped hearing movement before he opened the door again. He was greeted with the sight of Gavin curled up in a ball, fast asleep. 

Niles smiled, putting away the clothes Gavin had passed over, before laying next to him and pulling out his phone. The moment he stopped moving, Gavin shifted in his sleep and wrapped his arm around Niles’ stomach, nuzzling into his chest.

Niles unlocked his phone, scrolling through various news alerts.

**PL and rA9 dating? All evidence we’ve found so far!**

Niles laughed, forwarding the article to Markus and Simon.

**Co-operative Effort from Newcomer Super-Powered Heroes and Protector’s Vigilante Squad Save Hundreds of Lives.**

Niles opened that one, finding several photos of his family working with Chris and Tina. He smiled mischievously and made a new group chat.

Team -Gavin who is sleeping

Niles added Markus, Simon, Connor, Tina, and Chris

Niles

I’m on top of news alerts, found one with all of us

http://detroit_16.com/Coop-effort-vigilantes-heroes

Chris changed Tina’s name to The Lesbian

Simon changed Markus’s name to Husband 1

Husband 1 changed Simon’s name to Husband 2

Husband 2 changed Niles’s name to Thing 2

Husband 1 changed Connor’s name to Thing 1

The Lesbian changed Chris’s name to Himbo

The Lesbian

Damn I look good

Thing 1

Why is Chris just “Himbo”?

The Lesbian

He drinks his respect women juice and is my government assigned himbo

All lesbians have one

Himbo

She speaks the truth

Thing 1 changed Husband 2’s name to Married to the Self-Sacrificial Idiot

Thing 2 changed Husband 1’s name to Self-Sacrificial Idiot

Self-Sacrificial Idiot

I resent this statement.

Married to the Self-Sacrificial Idiot

It’s right tho

The Lesbian

How’s Gavin doing?

Thing 2

He’s asleep. Jerries got cat food so cats are good

He’s adorable when he sleeps

The Lesbian

Did they finally stop thirsting over each other and do something?!

Chris you owe me 20 bucks

Thing 1

Markus you owe me 50

  
  


Thing 2

I’m sorry what

Himbo

Yall aren’t subtle

Married to the Self-Sacrificial Idiot

At all

Self-Sacrificial Idiot

Not in the slightest

Thing 2

I don’t know what you’re talking about

Self-Sacrificial Idiot

You literally stared at Gavin’s ass for a whole half hour during an interrogation.

Married to the Self-Sacrificial Idiot

And you came into our room ranting about his perfection

The Lesbian

kdavgfka

Thats gold

Thing 2

ONE TIME

Thing 1

Twenty seven times in the past six months you have commented on Detective Reed’s “infuriatingly perfect ass.”

Even Luther was in on the bet

Thing 1 changed Thing 2’s name to dumb gay

The Lesbian changed dumb gay’s name to dumb fucking gay

Thing 1

Thanks for the assist Tina

Much better 👍

The Lesbian

You’re welcome

Niles closed the recently created, and already chaotic, group chat, and opened another.

Team Chat -Carl

Nines

Odds on Gavin having powers?

Fritz

75%

Josh

Sorry, who is Gavin?

rA9

The detective Niles thirsts over. Also Protector.

Josh

The vigilante?

Nines

Yep

Wait was Josh on the bet too?

Don’t answer that.

Gavin had a nightmare last night and he projected it into the room

Fritz

So Gavin slept in your bed?

Nines

Besides the point.

Still is btw

PL

You think Elijah sapped them when they were kids?

Nines

Can’t rule it out.

He went out of his way to touch Gavin yesterday

If that’s how he drains them it could be how he gives them back

800

More than probable

Ask Carl

Nines

Was hoping to avoid that

Josh

Its the only way youll know for sure

You know that

I gtg, lecture starts soon

Leo you owe me 30 bucks

Nines

Et tu Brutus?

Josh

It was easy money

Love you assholes

Don’t die

rA9

No promises

Seeing as I’m apparently a self-sacrificial idiot

Josh

You are.

Bye for real now

Fritz

You are

Nines

You are

PL

You know I love you, but you are.

800

Probably a side effect of your powers

rA9

I hate all of you

Fritz

😘

Niles put the phone back on the charging pad and sighed, looking down at Gavin.

He’d been hoping to avoid telling Carl his suspicions. The only way to confirm powers and name them was a deep mind probe, searching for each person’s power trigger, and flipping it.

Niles’ was his flight or fight response; Carl shot an anti-aircraft missile at him, he froze and his skin solidified. 

Connor’s had been his fear of heights, and Carl had shoved him off a building.

Markus’ had been his drive to protect; Carl had shot at Leo.

Simon’s had been his need for others to be happy; he never talked about what Carl had done to flip the switch in his brain.

Leo’s had surfaced during his red ice addiction; his was fueled by anger and resentment. He was still working through it, years later.

Josh’s had been the need for control; Carl had forced him into situations he couldn’t possibly control, over and over. It had involved each of them being subjected to various elements. Niles had nearly drowned.

North’s was her anger, her rage, at whatever parents they’d had that had dumped them in the system for Amanda to find. She was driven by her want for vengeance.

He didn’t want that for Gavin. He wouldn’t let Carl do that. He would help Gavin himself. He would do better than Carl did for them. 

Gavin had already seen and done too much. If Carl was going to find a switch in his mind, it was going to be bad. He picked up the phone again.

Team Chat -Carl

Nines

No one tells Carl.

Gavin’s switch will be bad.

Really bad.

Carl doesn’t get to know.

rA9

Understood

PL

You got it

800

Good call

Josh

Alright

Fritz

Got your back

Niles opened a new chat.

Help

Niles

I need your help. 

Tina

Everything okay?

Chris

Whats up?

Niles

Gavin has powers

Carl can’t know

I’ll explain another time

Chris

Shit

Tina

Elijah’s known the whole time. He drained them

Niles

That's the working theory

He’s asleep, I don’t know if he remembers it

How do I bring up the fact that he woke up from a nightmare to the nightmare being projected into the real world?

Tina

Gavin has bad nightmares, thats real bad.

Chris

Just ask him if he remembers

If he doesn’t, explain it

Tina

I agree, thats best

Niles

Understood

Niles put the phone back down when he felt Gavin stir next to him.

“You’re frowning at your phone.” Gavin’s voice was heavy with sleep still. God, Niles loved this man.

“Just thinking about something.”

“What’re you thinking about?”

Niles took a deep breath, looking down at Gavin. “Do you remember what happened last night?”

“Uh, yes?” He sat up, and Niles sat up next to him. “I was having a nightmare. It was bad, and you woke me up, and it was still around me.”

Niles held out his hand. “Gavin, can you squeeze my hand as hard as you can?”

Gavin reached out, squeezing hard and Niles felt his skin shift to withstand the force behind it.

Gavin looked at Niles’ metal skin, confused. “There’s no way I’m squeezing that hard.”

“I believe you may be unaware of your full strength.” Niles felt his skin shift back when Gavin stopped squeezing. “Gavin, when you were talking with Elijah, he touched your shoulder. I think, and I’d have to check to be sure, but I believe you may have powers, and Elijah’s been holding them since they developed.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Powers develop between ages 13-15, if yours developed at age 15 but his developed at age 13, he could’ve been sapping your powers the whole time.”

Gavin frowned, blinking quickly as he processed what Niles had just said. “So when I woke up last night, all the people in here, the illusions...”

“You were projecting them from your nightmare. You’re an illusion manipulator.”

Gavin frowned. “Who knows?”

“The team, minus Carl.”

“Why minus Carl? I’d think he’d be the first person to tell.”

Niles sighed, looking away. “Everyone has a trigger switch in their brain for their powers. Carl uses his telepathy to unlock them, but it's... Carl meant well, and it's the fastest way to unlock powers, but I’m not letting him find your switch. Simon can’t even talk about his experience, to trigger Josh’s I nearly drowned, Connor nearly suffocated, and Markus was covered in burns for months.”

“Jesus.” Gavin looked at Niles in shock, and Niles just shrugged.

“It was years ago.”

“Doesn’t make it any less fucked up.”

“It worked.”

“You’re defending Carl setting his son on fire, drowning you, and suffocating your brother to unlock someone else's power?” Gavin frowned deeply, reaching out to cup Niles’ chin, looking at him with a sympathetic look. He was probably the only one outside of his family that understood why he would take it. 

“Niles.” He only said his name but he could tell it had clicked Gavin’s head that he’d agreed to do it because it would make him stronger, make all of them stronger. 

Niles leaned into Gavin’s hand and let his eyes close. He’d never felt safer than he did when he was with Gavin.

“I’m not letting him do that to you. We’ll figure it out on our own,” he said, opening his eyes to look at Gavin’s colour changing eyes. 

He hadn’t noticed before, but whenever his eyes changed colour his left eye was always slightly behind the other, and there was always a small chunk of the previous colour in the top corner of his left eye.

“We’ll figure it out.” Gavin echoed, smiling fondly.

“How are you feeling?” Niles asked; Gavin had been asleep for a few hours at this point. His hair was a curly mess and Niles very badly wanted to bury his face in it.

“Better. Like 75%?”

Niles stood up, offering Gavin a hand. “Want to try walking again?”

Gavin glared at the hand. “No.”

Niles broke out laughing. “Oh, you silly man.” He leaned down and scooped Gavin into his arms. “You silly, silly man.”

Gavin smiled, pecking Niles’ lips. “You love me.”

“I do.” Niles smiled, carrying Gavin into the living room, setting him down on the couch and handing him the TV remote. “I’m going to make lunch, what do you want?”

Gavin shrugged. “I don’t eat lunch.”

“I know. You exist purely on caffeine and spite. We’re going to talk about that later.” Gavin glared at Niles playfully. “What do you want to  _ eat _ ?”

“Uhhhh. Soup?”

Niles smiled and rolled his eyes fondly, heading to the kitchen to pull out a few things.


	11. Apples In The Soup

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen before y'all go up in arms about apples in the soup, its the way my godparents make it and its really good.

Pouring the chicken broth into the pot, he began cutting up the cooked chicken from the fridge while it boiled. He heard Gavin turn on the TV, scrolling through stations until he landed on a news report.

Niles poured pasta into the broth and added the cut chicken and some cubed apples, letting them cook as he returned to the living room. Standing behind the couch he leaned over, resting his forearms on the back of the couch behind Gavin. Niles buried his head in Gavin’s soft curly hair. 

“You enjoying yourself?” Gavin smiled, feeling Niles’ nose brush through his hair.

“Immensely,” came the slightly muffled reply as Niles wrapped his arms around Gavin’s neck. Gavin leaned his head back, kissing Niles again. He was never going to stop kissing this man. Even if it made him forget to breathe.

Niles pulled away when a timer beeped angrily from the kitchen, walking back to check on whatever he was making.

Gavin watched him retreat, still slightly annoyed he’d put a shirt on again. He turned back to the news when he heard his name.

“To continue the coverage of the video that was released yesterday, which called for Protector, our city’s most prolific vigilante, the identity of the man responsible for the recorded deaths of three innocent civilians and the recent bombs scattered throughout the city, thanks to Protector’s vigilantes and rA9’s heroes, were detonated safely with minimal casualties, has been revealed.

“Elijah Kamski was a rising star in the scientific field before his mysterious disappearance. Analysis has also matched Kamski’s recorded voice with that of Protector’s original brother-in-arms, Seer. 

“Kamski’s only living family member is Detective Gavin Reed of the Detroit Police Department, who is his paternal half-brother. The DPD has refused to comment on Detective Reed’s possible involvement in his brother’s emerging reign of terror, and Detective Reed himself was unavailable for comment.”

“Fuck,” Gavin said under his breath. The TV clicked off and he realized Niles had sat next to him on the couch, a bowl of soup on the coffee table in front of each of them.

“We’re going to have to handle that."

"Yeah.” Gavin sighed. “At least they assumed he meant brothers in arms and not what he actually meant.”

“That would’ve been worse?”

“Given how easy it is to tie Chris and Tina to me, yes. I don’t exactly fancy getting arrested by a corrupt police department that, for the most part, already hates my guts as Detective Reed. They hate Protector too, but if they found out we’re the same person....”

“Much worse.” Niles wrapped his free arm around Gavin, holding him close. “No matter what happens, we have your back.”

Gavin leaned his head on Niles’ shoulder, staring at nothing.

“Gavin, eat your food.”

Gavin sighed, picking up the bowl and beginning to eat the soup. “Are there... Apples? In here?”

“Yes. There is.”

“Okay, but why?”

Niles shrugged. “Amanda used to make it for us before she died. It was the only thing she knew how to make besides microwave dinners.”

“Amanda?”

“Amanda Stern. She adopted us when we were young. North was 6, Connor and I were 4. She died a few months after Connor’s power surfaced. Mine surfaced the day she died.”

“Shit, Niles, I’m sorry.”

Niles shrugged. “She wasn’t warm, but she wasn’t cold either. She was a friend of our parents’. She didn’t have powers, if you were wondering. She was a scientist; she opposed the development of bioweapons pretty strongly. Probably what ended up killing her.”

“What do you mean?”

“She didn’t die naturally, she’d just picked Connor and I up from school when someone opened fire on the car. She told me to protect Connor and my skin shifted for the first time.” Gavin reached up and cupped Niles’ face. The hero was staring far off into the distance.

“Fowler was the lead detective on the case. Our first day at the DPD he found Connor and I and apologized for not being able to solve it. Whoever killed Amanda had friends high enough in the DPD that the investigation was locked up in bureaucratic bullshit for years. It's still technically an open case.”

“That sounds like a case I’m going to pick up after this shit is done with,” Gavin spoke with sincerity. He was going to get Niles closure. 

“Do I get to ask a question now?”

“Oh, are we doing this again?” Gavin teased lightly, before smiling and nodding. “Go for it.”

“Did you ever suspect you had powers?”

“No, not in the slightest. I knew Elijah did cause he woke up one day much stronger than the day before. I never had that. A moment where I was stronger than I should’ve been.”

“Your turn.”

“Favourite food?”

Niles raised the bowl of soup. “Amanda’s chicken noodle. Cure all for hangovers, mopiness, and deadly bullets fired into your body by insane supervillain brothers.” Gavin laughed at that. “How ‘bout you?”

“Hm, don’t suppose coffee counts?”

“You worry me.”

“Doesn’t answer the question.”

“No, coffee doesn’t count. How the fuck are you still alive?”

“Spite.” Gavin smirked, adding, “and probably mac and cheese meat sandwiches.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“You know, processed meat with chunks of cheese and macaroni noodles.” Gavin laughed as Niles’ disgust grew infinitely.

“How the fuck are you still alive?”

“Spite, we  _ just _ went over this.” Gavin smirked. “Besides, it's my turn.”

“Ask away.”

“What’s the keycard for?”

“It grants access to any of the council’s buildings, files, or offices.”

“The council?”

“They’re who determine if threats to the world are big enough to warrant a response from people with powers. Carl is directly disobeying them. Only reason we’re allowed to keep doing this is cause too many people like Carl, and no one likes the council. They have a registry of every person and their powers, where they live, who they know, and what they do. We’re required to update our own files every year or face punishment. They’re basically an immovable dictatorship.”

“Jesus.”

“Carl’s hope is that if we prove that we can help people without having to have world-ending levels of bad, enough people will join that we can overthrow the council and actually elect people.”

“That's a pretty ballsy plan.”

“It is. There are stages, assigned roles, and everything.”

“Assigned roles?”

“Markus has been studying and training to serve as an interim leader on the council, with Simon training to support him. Connor and I are to go public with our secret identities and powers once Markus has stabilized our people. Josh is going to serve as the scientific head, explaining shit to governments. Kara, Luther, and Alice are going to prove that families living peacefully together is possible. 

“We hadn’t expected to have to counteract a supervillain though.”

“Sorry ‘bout that. Elijah ruins all the plans.”

“What did he say to you? Whatever it was made you tense, I couldn’t hear it.”

_ Oh I’ve seen all of it. You’re going to marry that man. Can’t focus on the date, not yet, but you will.  _ Gavin thought of the phrase again. He put the bowl down, very pointedly not making eye contact with Niles. This thought had given him hope, but what would happen if he told Niles? He didn’t exactly seem like the kind of person who would want to know his future.

Hell,  _ Gavin _ didn’t want to know. It was making him second guess everything, and he hated it.

“He looked into my future. Apparently, I’m happy.” Gavin sighed, putting his head in his hands. “I don’t understand what I did to make him want to ruin my life.”

“You deserve to be happy, Gavin.” Niles rested his chin on Gavin’s shoulder. “You’ve saved hundreds of thousands of lives. You deserve to live your life and be happy.”

“I’m not so sure about that.” Gavin sighed again, looking over at Niles. “I did a calculation a few years ago; for every ten people I’ve saved, I’ve killed two, permanently damaged three, and terrified five. I’m good at hurting, I’m  _ great _ at killing.” 

A beat later, Gavin’s voice was quiet. “I’m not sure what else I’m good at.”

They sat there in silence, Niles looking at Gavin. People saw Protector and feared him, but they also trusted him to keep them safe, even when the news and the city was intent on crucifying him for every person he killed, portraying them as innocents despite their extensive criminal backgrounds. 

Niles shifted to the floor, kneeling in front of Gavin and gently pulling his hands away from his face. “Gavin Reed, you are the best detective the DPD has. You are kind and smart and strategic. You are  _ strong _ . You are so much more than Protector. You are a man who loves a small business’s brand of vanilla syrup and pumpkin spice lattes. You brought a cat home from a crime scene and kept him even though he pissed on your couch. You adopted a fuzzball because someone asked if you would. You carry groceries in for your neighbours.”

Niles wiped away the tears that were spilling out of Gavin’s eyes. “You are a good person, Gavin Reed. You’re my hero.”

Gavin reached out and kissed Niles, hard. He tangled his hands in Niles’ hair, pulling him as close as super-humanly possible.

Niles wrapped his arms around Gavin’s waist, lifting him up off the couch. Gavin’s legs wrapped around Niles’ hips. Niles spun him around, pinning him against the wall beside the TV screen, trailing kisses down his neck as Gavin gasped for breath.

“You need to breathe,” Niles murmured in Gavin’s ear as he nipped at his ear.

“Would you  _ shut up _ ,” Gavin gasped.

“Mine,” Niles growled in his ear.

“Yours,” Gavin replied, breathless.

Niles smirked, kissing Gavin again, biting his lip as he pulled Gavin’s hands out of his hair, pinning his wrists to the wall. Niles smirked as a whimper escaped Gavin’s throat.

“Tell me when to stop,” Niles whispered.

“Don’t,” was all Gavin said, staring up at Niles with green eyes. Niles pulled Gavin back off the wall and into his arms, kissing him as he made his way to his bed, tossing Gavin onto it.

“Good?” Niles checked again, joining Gavin on the bed.

“God, yes.” Gavin grabbed at the hem of Niles’ shirt, lifting it up and over his head.

Niles was far less gentle, tearing the sweater off of Gavin’s body, the sound of ripping fabric echoing in the room.

“Fucking super-strength,” Gavin muttered, grabbing at Niles and crashing their lips together.

Niles shifted, straddling Gavin and pushing him down into the bed, pinning him down again. 

Gavin threw his head back as Niles bit down on his neck, over one of his scars. Niles grinned to himself as Gavin continued to make wonderful, breathless noises. 

Niles began working his way down Gavin’s chest, tracing his scars with soft kisses that left Gavin squirming and making the most delectable moans. Continuing his way down, he reached the waistband of the pajama shorts.

“Stop?”

“Keep going,” Gavin breathed out quietly, still squirming. “ _ Please _ .”

Niles smirked, pulling down Gavin’s shorts and, gripping his hips tightly, he dove in.

Gavin closed his eyes, tangling his fingers in Niles hair as colours rippled across his vision.

_ God, is there anything his mouth can’t do? _ Gavin’s ability to form coherent thought dissolved as Niles continued drawing as many noises as he could from Gavin’s mouth.

Gavin felt like he was floating away, with Niles’ hands and mouth the only things grounding him. Gavin’s eyes shot open and the colours remained, swirling around his head as illusions.

Gavin lost it, dissolving to pieces, tugging at Niles’ hair. He felt his back arch up off of the bed.

Gavin looked down at Niles’ smirking face and he rolled his eyes. “Shut up.”

Niles laughed, laying down next to Gavin and pulling him close. “I didn’t say anything.”

Gavin glared up at him. “How the hell are you perfect at everything? 'S not fair.”

“I’m far from perfect. Detective Reed. Thought you would’ve figured that out by now.” 

Gavin rolled his eyes, resting his head on Niles’ chest. “You’re as close as humanly possible then.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Niles grinned down at Gavin, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. “You need more sleep.”

“Hmmmm, sleep sounds nice.” Gavin smiled, letting his eyes close as he fell asleep for the second time? Third time? That day.


	12. Unproductive/Productive

Gavin realized as he slowly woke up a few hours later that he felt  _ safe _ . Safer than he had in years. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked up at Niles, who was on a tablet, scrolling through old case files and finishing some paperwork Gavin had  _ definitely _ forgotten about.

“Lookit you, being responsible,” Gavin said. Niles put the tablet on the side table, smiling down at him.

“Well, someone needed to sign the final forms, and you never do.”

“I do too.”

“Name one time in the last six months you’ve actually finished your paperwork.”

“May-”

“Nope, that one is still sitting in your pile.”

“Last month, uh, August 4th. You called out sick. I finished some then.”

“Wasn’t actually sick. Just told Fowler I was.”

“Yeah, I’m convinced you don’t get sick. Either way, I finished like, 7 files that day.”

“All of them were mine and none of them were yours.”

“Listen-”

“Wait, you knew that?” Niles grinned like an idiot. “You actually did paper work so I wouldn’t have any to do when I got back.”

“Shut up,” Gavin grumbled, embarrassed.

“Oh my god!” Niles laughed hard, throwing his head back.

“Well that's the last time I do something nice for you!” Gavin glared playfully, jabbing him in the side, maybe using just a little of his new-found strength.

Niles looked down at Gavin, still laughing. “Oh, I love you.”

Gavin rolled his eyes. “Shut  _ up _ .”

Niles grinned, kissing Gavin’s head. “You hungry?”

“Not really. What time is it?”

“Around 5. We ate around 1.”

Gavin smiled, remembering that they’d done a lot more than just eat. Gavin propped himself up with his arm, “I’m going to have another shower, I think.” He kissed Niles, breaking away and murmuring. “You should join me this time.” He stood up, feeling stable on his feet for the first time in 24 hours.

He walked into the bathroom, leaving a wide-eyed Niles on the bed. Gavin grinned to himself, turning on the water and stepping under. 

A few moments after the water had warmed up, he felt Niles’ arm snake around his waist, pulling him flush against him. Gavin tilted his head to look at Niles, smirking. “Hey, handsome.”

“Hey yourself,” Niles replied. Gavin turned in Niles’ arms, facing him.

Niles backed Gavin against the shower wall, pinning his wrists above his head with one hand. Gavin rose on his toes, kissing Niles, who had slipped his other hand into Gavin’s hair.

The water was warm and the room was slowly filling with steam as Gavin slid down to his knees, looking up at Niles with his infuriatingly beautiful eyes. 

“If you want me to stop-”

“Not even a little.”

Niles tangled his fingers in Gavin’s hair as he attacked. That was the best word Niles had for what Gavin was doing. It was rushed and almost animalistic, and it was driving him insane.

Gavin’s hands made their way to Niles’ hips, pulling him closer and Niles nearly died right there. His head fell back, eyes fluttering as the shower spray hit his face. 

He could feel Gavin’s hands squeezing his hips tight, and his skin wanted to shift, but he held it back. He knew he’d get bruises, he could already feel them forming, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t enjoying the idea that he’d wake up tomorrow with Gavin’s handprints on his body. Just like he’d enjoyed the fact that there were bruises on his neck that matched Gavin’s mouth.

Niles looked back down at Gavin who was looking up at him, blinking innocently up at him, water running down his face, his hair so weighed down that it was almost flat against his head. And Niles fell in love with Gavin all over again as he fell back against the shower wall, hands still tangled in his hair.

Niles closed his eyes, enjoying the aftermath as waves of pure dopamine crashed through his brain. Eyes still closed, he felt Gavin kiss him, tasting all salty sweet.

“This is a very unproductive shower,” Niles murmured against Gavin’s lips. 

“I’d argue the contrary.” Niles opened his eyes to Gavin’s infuriating, cock-sure smirk. “I’d say it's been very productive thus far.” Niles rolled his eyes, resting his forehead against Gavin’s as the water continued pouring down.

“You forgot to turn the fan on.”

“Mmmm, didn’t forget. It was a choice.”

Niles shook his head, smiling fondly as he ran his fingers over a scar on Gavin’s shoulder.

“You can ask, if you want.”

“Are they all from Protector?”

“All but two.” Gavin said, smiling as Niles brushed the one on his lip. “That’s one of them.” He took Niles’ other hand and brought it to the scar just under his collarbone. “This one’s from a scrap my first year on the team. Only fight I actually participated in on the ice.”

“And this one?” Niles ran his fingers along one of the largest scars. It reached from five inches below his shoulders and ripped across his chest, between his ribs, and almost all the way to the centre of his chest.

“Elijah, about two years ago. Bastard  _ literally _ stabbed me in the back this time.” He brought Niles’ fingers to one slightly above it. “This was the one you saw in the memory.”

“How do you still have functioning lungs?”

“Vanessa’s been fixing us up since she got together with Tina six years ago, after she saved her life.”

Niles ran his fingers along every single scar; each of them had their own stories, and aside from the two, Gavin had gotten them saving the city.

Gavin and Niles stood there, in the water, until it started to turn cold. Niles reached over, shutting it off. Exiting the shower, he tossed another fluffy towel at Gavin, who caught it and towelled off his hair, before discarding it.

“We just doing away with modesty now?”

Gavin just walked over and wrapped his arms around Niles’ neck. “If you put a shirt on again, I  _ will  _ rip it off of you.”

Niles chuckled, tossing Gavin over his shoulder, eliciting a yelp of protest, and, carrying him back into the living room, tossed him onto the couch. Gavin sat up and glared at Niles playfully.

“Are you just going to stand there smiling like an idiot?”

“No, I’m making myself a quesadilla, do you want one?” Niles wrapped a blanket around Gavin, who curled up underneath it, becoming a shapeless blanket blob.

“Sure.”

Niles smiled, kissing his forehead, before picking up their long-forgotten lunch dishes and sending them down the chute. Gavin picked up the TV remote, turning on a documentary about some English prince and his American politician husband.

As Niles returned to the kitchen, Gavin watched him, the documentary running in the background. He fixated on the trail of bruises he’d left down his neck, and the bruises starting to form on his hips.

Niles was Gavin’s. And he was Niles’. 

God, if this was what the future had in store, Gavin couldn’t wait.


	13. Birthday Gifts

The rest of the day was passed close together, watching an endless cycle of meaningless documentaries, just existing together.

Team -Gavin who is sleeping

dumb fucking gay added Gavin to the chat

The Lesbian changed Gavin’s name to dumber fucking gay

dumb fucking gay changed the chat name to Team

The Lesbian

Oh look, they’re alive

dumber fucking gay

we are

what is this i hear about bets?

and why was i not given a cut?

dumb fucking gay

Oh good question. I’d like a cut too,  _ Connor _

Thing 1

I could just stop flying you off dramatically to make a ‘good impression on the cute vigilante’

dumber fucking gay

u broke Niles.

he’s just sputtering excuses

in between threats on ur life.

he’s now conscripting my cats

connor if u turn my cats into murderers i will never forgive you

Thing 1

I’m sorry when did this become my fault?

Gavin just put his phone away, laughing as Niles continued to grasp for excuses.

Over the next two months, life fell into a rhythm. Go to work together, usually via a small coffee shop for seasonal PSL, which Gavin was happy to find was a flavour they both enjoyed. Work whatever case they’d been assigned, and spend whatever free time they had at work searching the database for any new information on Elijah. Go back to the mansion, have dinner either just the two of them, or as a giant chaotic mess with everyone. Head to the basement, and suit up for patrol. On quiet nights, find somewhere private and start working on controlling Gavin’s powers. Return to the mansion and collapse into bed with Niles next to him, although more often than not they didn’t fall asleep right away.

Gavin sighed, turning on his phone on the 7th of November to a barrage of messages in the group chat.

Team

The Lesbian

Happy Birthday Gav!

[birthday.gif]

Himbo

Hey! You survived another year without dying!

Woo!

Self-Sacrificial Idiot

Happy birthday!

It’s Gavin’s birthday?

Does Niles know?

Thing 1

It’s in his file.

And circled on his calendar.

Happy birthday detective

dumb fucking gay

Sh he’s still asleep and I can hear his phone going off

if you wake him up I’ll murder you all.

Lazy ass

Happy birthday Reed

dumb fucking gay

When did Leo get added to the gc?

Married to the self-sacrificial Idiot

I added him while you were preoccupied

Happy birthday Gavin

Gavin rubbed his eyes and then rolled them when he saw Niles standing in the doorway with a cupcake.

“No dairy,” he said, sitting on the bed next to Gavin, leaning over and kissing him gently. “Happy birthday, Gavin.” 

“Mmm, happy birthday to me.” Gavin smiled, dipping a finger in the frosting and eating it. “Thank you, Niles.”

They split the cupcake; Gavin wouldn’t eat any of it unless Niles had some. A few moments later, the cupcake wrapper was sitting on the bedside table, and Gavin was sitting in Niles’ lap, arms around his neck, and Niles’ arms around Gavin’s waist.

The bruises on Niles’ neck and hips were at various stages of fading, and Gavin’s neck and chest were covered in similarly sized bruises. Gavin smirked, trailing fluttering kisses down Niles’ neck to his collarbone, where he bit and sucked on the skin until he was satisfied it would leave a nice mark behind.

_ ‘You two need to stop whatever you’re doing and turn on the news.’  _ Carl’s voice echoed in their heads for the first time outside of patrol in days. Pulling apart, frowning, Gavin grabbed his police-issued tablet, pulling up the live feed.

“Yes, as I was saying, Paul, we are currently in the middle of a situation.” The news anchor’s voice was shaking and the camera zoomed out, revealing Elijah, standing with a gun pressed to her head, and several armoured people holding the rest of the crew hostage in front of the news anchor’s desk.

“Hello, Detroit. As I’m sure you’ve learned by now, my name is Elijah Kamski. I’m here to deliver a  _ special message _ .” A soulless grin cracked across Elijah’s face. “To wish a big happy birthday to my big brother, Detective Gavin Reed. You have five hours before I start sending you presents from the DPD morgue.”

The feed cut to black, and Gavin's hands slipped from the tablet.

“Gavin?” Niles asked softly, putting the tablet to the side. “What do you want to do?”

“He wants me, not Protector. He wants me unarmed, and weak.” Gavin looked over at Niles. “And that’s what he’s going to get.”

They met the rest of the team in the secret basement, where Gavin laid out his plan.

“DPD will be here to escort me to the building, exchange me for the hostages, and then storm the building. Elijah will hold onto some of them as human shields, he knows the DPD playbook, and he knows ours. You all go as DPD officers. Once you get inside the building, make decisions with close calls as they come up. Wear your suits underneath your tac gear and bring your masks. We don’t know what exactly we’re walking into, but we can’t prepare too much either. We walk the line.”

Gavin took a deep breath, looking around the table at his friends. “And we all come back alive.”

“Alive,” they echoed back, leaving to suit up.

Gavin and Niles made their way to the room that had been housing their suits. Gavin pulled on the under armour and kevlar lining before pulling his regular sweater, jacket, and jeans on over it.

He finished after Niles, who was waiting for him, holding something in his hand. 

“Before we go.” He reached up, clipping a long chain around Gavin’s neck. From the chain was a small pendant, encasing a small purple rose from Niles’ small corner garden, similar to the one he’d been carrying in his suit pocket since Niles had given it to him over two months ago. Gavin turned it over in his hand, pressing a kiss to it before tucking it safely under the layers of armour. 

“I love it,” he said, reaching over to cup Niles’ cheek and kissing him gently. “Alive.”

“Alive.” 

Gavin and Niles joined the rest of the team, plain clothes covering all their armour. as the DPD pulled up the driveway. The two of them got into the squad car, and Niles grabbed Gavin’s hand, squeezing it for reassurance. For his own or Gavin’s, neither of them really knew.

The drive was silent and tense. When they arrived at the tower, Gavin was ushered past the police tape, as were the rest of the team. They were brought to the tent where they began suiting up in their DPD tack gear. Gavin only got a vest. Elijah had since specified that he wasn’t allowed to be armed.

Fowler entered the tent and looked at Gavin. “You sure you can do this?”

“Not at all,” Gavin admitted. “But I’m sure as hell gonna try.”

Fowler nodded, satisfied with the answer. Once they were tacked up they exited the tent, walking to the edge of the police line.

Gavin took a deep breath, turning to Niles. He didn’t care if they were in front of their boss, or the rest of the world. He didn’t care that Elijah was probably watching. Gavin raised an eyebrow and Niles nodded, reaching for him at the same time for a gentle kiss.

“I love you,” Gavin whispered.

“I love you too,” Niles whispered back, “so you better come back to me.”

Gavin nodded, taking another deep breath before turning to the building and walking towards the entrance, guarded by some of Elijah’s thugs. As he approached Gavin raised his hands, putting them on his head. The thugs raised their guns and aimed at Gavin.

The one on the left held up a small tablet, confirming it was him, before grabbing his arms and putting make-shift cuffs on him then shoving him inside. Gavin saw the group of trembling hostages in the lobby. He kept his head up, trying to keep hold of the safety he’d felt in Niles’ arms, and trying to project that bravery to the hostages. The thugs opened the doors and the hostages poured out. 

Gavin was shoved into an elevator, surrounded by more thugs as the elevator ascended to the top level, where the newsroom was.

“Floor 87. Enjoy your visit,” the cheerful, prerecorded voice chirped.

“Yeah, I doubt that,” Gavin muttered under his breath as the thugs ushered him out of the elevator and into the newsroom. The cameras were manned by more of Elijah’s thugs. The news desk had been thrown off its platform. In its place were two female figures, kneeling with their arms behind their backs. One of them was the newscaster, and the other had a cloth bag over her head.

The “On Air” light flicked on. This was a show. Another of Elijah’s games.

“Gavin! How  _ unexpected! _ ” Elijah crowed, as Gavin was shoved into the bright lights of the studio.

“Elijah, let them go. Please.”

“See, I don’t think I will. I  _ know  _ the second this building is clear of hostages, the DPD will storm in and make a big mess of your  _ special  _ birthday celebration!”

“What’s your sick, twisted game this time?”

“Well, isn’t it obvious?” Elijah strolled forward, stopping between the hostages. “It's a pick one game! The city,” he gestured to the trembling news anchor, “or you.” 

He pulled the bag from the head of the other hostage.

She had red hair that was messily braided, and she had one blue eye, and one brown. The same as her little brothers', waiting downstairs for Gavin’s signal to breech.

“North?”

She looked up and frowned, trying to figure out who he was.

“I work with your brothers, Markus and Simon too,” he spoke, and a spark of recognition and understanding flickered across her eyes.

_ ‘Now.’ _ Gavin sent through the link.

“Yes, yes, it's all very heartwarming. See? I brought you a gift for your birthday. Well, maybe not for  _ you _ , but for your boy toy downstairs.”

“Leave Niles out of your sick games. You nearly killed him once, you’re not going to get another chance.”

Elijah smirked as he signaled for more thugs to move Gavin into position, standing between each hostage.

Elijah signaled and two thugs raised their guns, one pointed at each hostage.

“Choose, brother. The city, or yourself. Your little super friends won’t be fast enough to save you this time. The only one who could... Well, I took care of  _ him _ , didn’t I?”

“Leave him out of this, you asshole.”

“Tick tock, brother. Choose, or lose both.”

“You’re sick.”

“Probably. But that doesn’t change the fact that you have five seconds... 4... 3... 2...”

Gavin threw himself in front of North as the sound of a gunshot sounded and the news anchor’s body slumped to the floor.

Then seven things happened at once. 

  1. From the back entrance Markus and Simon broke the door open, in full DPD uniform,
  2. Leo dropped from an open vent, cutting the feed,
  3. Connor flew in, shattering a window,
  4. Chris broke in from the roof access,
  5. Tina broke through the front left entrance, opening fire,
  6. Hank dropped from Connor’s grasp, firing,
  7. and Niles dropped through a ceiling panel above North and Gavin, his skin shifting to protect both of them from the onslaught of bullets.



Gavin ripped open his cuffs, turning and removing North’s gag as she broke open her own cuffs.

“He gave me back my powers, he’s primed something.”

_ ‘Patching in North,’  _ Carl’s voice echoed in his head,  _ ‘It's good to hear your voice again, my girl.” _

_ ‘Good to hear yours,”  _ North’s voice echoed.

Gavin looked up and took off towards three thugs who were ushering Elijah out of the room. Gavin tuned out the world. 

He was going for the kill.

Niles watched as Gavin launched after his brother before turning back to his sister, holding out his hand to her. She took it and stood. Connor was by their side in an instant. 

All three of them reached out to make sure they weren’t dreaming before wrapping their arms around each other.

The thugs were outmatched, and those that remained surrendered. Niles looked around the room.

“Gavin!” He jumped up and ran after Gavin, scanning the hall as he ran past two bodies.

He found Gavin dangling from a broken window. Across the street, Elijah was getting away. Niles leaned down and pulled Gavin up, pulling him into his arms and just holding onto him.

Then they heard a click and Gavin was lunging into action, taking down the thug in seconds, his arms around the thug’s neck. Gavin’s eyes were grey as he stared down at the thug who was begging to be spared.

“Gavin-” Niles started to tell him to let him go, but before he could finish the sentence Gavin snapped the thug’s neck.

Niles looked at him. This was a man he didn’t recognize. Not even a little. He looked like Elijah. Niles shuddered and turned away, walking back to the main room, Gavin trailing behind him, eyes still a frigid grey.

They entered the room and Markus looked at them.

“We have to decide what to do with these ones.” He gestured to the thugs.

“We have five minutes before DPD backup arrives,” Hank said. “We gotta decide fast.”

“We can’t let them live, they’ll expose all of you,” North said, standing shoulder to shoulder with Connor.

“Or we could trust that they won’t tell anyone. Give them a second chance,” Simon suggested.

“So we put it to a vote,” Connor suggested. “The nine of us voting will have a majority one way or the other.”

“I vote we kill them,” North said. “They killed her.” She gestured to the news anchor. “They were going to kill me. Time to return the favour.”

“I vote to spare them,” Said Simon

“So do I,” Markus said

“I vote we let them go,” Chris added.

“I’m with North. We can’t risk it,” Connor said.

“I vote to let them go,” Niles spoke, but he knew they’d lose. Tina and Gavin had already made up their minds.

“I say it's too dangerous to let them go,” Tina said.

“I vote to let them go,” Hank spoke from his perch in the dark.

“Gavin?” Markus asked.

Gavin didn’t give a response, just walked over and began shooting. It was over in seconds. Forty long seconds of silence followed, broken by the DPD reinforcements arriving.

Using the link they consolidated their stories. They hadn’t surrendered and had kept shooting at the team. North gave her name and explained that she’d been held hostage by Kamski for over a year, and that he’d faked her death.

Eventually they were released. Gavin and Niles sat in a tense silence as they drove back to the mansion. Niles pulled over before they got back.

“Gavin, why would you-”

“I had to. The secret’s too important.”

“It’s not worth killing people who  _ surrendered _ over.”

“Yes. It is.” Gavin finally looked at Niles. “I know you and Connor don’t care, it’s Carl’s grand plan to have you two go public anyways, but it is for me. For Chris and Tina. We want to be able to retire at some point, and that won’t happen if the world knows we’re vigilantes.

“You all have kept your hands so clean, I’m 20 years into this. I’ve given up on the justice system, but I’d be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. At this point, with the number of murder charges I have against me, I’d be given the death penalty. I don’t have a choice.”

“You always have a choice.”

“Then I don’t regret mine.”

Niles and Gavin drove back the rest of the way in silence, and Gavin had his stuff back in his apartment by dinner time. Cats, suits, and all.

That night Gavin fell asleep, clutching the pendant tight.


	14. Distance

The next morning, Gavin arrived at work to find Niles’ desk cleared off. And Simon’s. And Markus’. And Connor’s.

“They left last night. They got recalled. Hope you got to say goodbye,” Tina said. Gavin didn’t answer, heading to his desk and throwing himself into his work.

For three weeks Gavin fell into his old routine.

Feed the cats, get to work, have plain coffee, work hard, try his damnedest not to look at the empty desk opposite him, get home to eat quickly, head to base to train his powers with Hank, then out on patrol. He didn’t get home till 5am most nights, sleeping until the cats woke him up at 7:30 every morning, and starting again. No breaks, no days off, just work.

If he worked hard enough, he’d forget about Niles for a moment. 

Until he wanted to ask his opinion on something, and he wasn’t there to ask. 

Or he’d take a sip of his plain black coffee, and find himself wishing for Niles’ quick hands, slipping a shot of flavour in every cup of his coffee.

Or he’d see his cats and remember how much Asshole and Peaches loved Niles. And then he’d remember how much he’d loved Niles. How much he still loved Niles. And his heart would ache, and he’d hold the pendant tight.

On November 28th, he unlocked his phone to find a message in the neglected group chat. They’d given up messaging it after three days of radio silence.

Team

Married to the self-sacrificial Idiot

Carl died at 3:02 this morning.

Gavin closed the chat and opened up another chat.

My Love

You

I just heard. I’m sorry Niles, I know what Carl meant to you.

(read 7:32)

Gavin closed the chat.

Niles stared at his phone, his finger hovering over the call button.

The council had recalled them after Elijah’s attack on the news station. They got home and council muscle was already there to “escort” them.

They were lucky they hadn’t been tried before the council.

Now Niles was down the hall from the room Carl’s cold, unmoving body was in. More people kept arriving. So many had come to say goodbye. 

Niles hated it all, he couldn’t tune them out. Before they began to trickle in, it had just been them.

Connor, North, Markus, Simon, Leo, and Josh. Carl had told them the part of his plan he’d been keeping secret.

He’d slowly been transferring his telepathy to Niles. 

He hadn’t even noticed, but when Carl said it out loud it clicked into place. He’d been able to tell if a suspect was guilty based on... well, nothing. He called it a gut feeling, but it wasn’t. It felt different.

Carl spent the last hours of his life finishing the transfer. 

He’d felt Carl’s mind go quiet, and felt the tidal wave of pent up emotion come crashing down. He turned and walked out.

And now he wanted nothing more than to hear Gavin’s voice.

He pressed the button, holding the phone to his ear.

“Niles?” Niles choked back a sob.

“Gavin,” he said, tears rolling down his cheeks.

“How are you feeling?”

“I-” Niles took a deep breath. What the hell was he doing, calling Gavin from the stronghold of the council?

“Are you safe?” Gavin asked when Niles didn’t continue.

“Unknown,” Niles said, looking up as a council goon walked towards him.  _ Fuck _ . He raised his voice so the goon would hear what he was saying.“I- I just needed to hear your voice.” He lowered his voice again. “We’re going through with  _ the plan _ .”

He heard Gavin shift and Asshole meow in annoyance. He’d probably sat up. “Good luck,” he said.

The goon was getting closer, his phone was going to be confiscated. Telepathy may be useful. “I’ve gotta-”

“Just come back to me.” Gavin said. 

“I promise.” And he hung up, crushing the phone in his hands.

“I’m going to need to confiscate your phone,” the goon said

“What phone?” Niles said, letting the broken pieces clatter to the ground. He stood up, looking the goon in the eyes. “I’m going to go back to my family now. I’d advise against standing in my way.”

The goon stood there, staring him down. Niles didn’t flinch, taking a step forward and the goon moved.

Niles returned to the room, closing his eyes and focusing on establishing a link. 

He reached out one by one, touching the minds of his family and linking them like yarn between pins.

_ ‘I don’t know how stable this will be, but it is just us,’  _ he said, his family looking at him.

_ ‘Gavin’s still safe, nothing on Elijah.’ _

_ ‘What do we do, Markus?’  _ Connor directed his voice to Markus.

_ ‘We start working. We thought we’d have a few years for this, but we may not even have days. Our first job is to destabilize the council. And find allies.’ _

_ ‘Where do we start?’ _ North’s voice was ready. She thought they were going to war.

_ ‘We aren’t starting a war, North. We’re saving our people,” _ Simon’s voice.

How Carl managed to keep the link so steady and clear while participating in the conversation Niles wished he’d had the chance to ask.

_ ‘I don’t know how much longer I can hold this,’ _ he sent. Markus nodded.

_ ‘Start with those that visited Carl. He trusted them.’ _

His family nodded in sync and Niles dropped the link, feeling absolutely drained.

They spread out, visiting Carl’s friends and subtly explaining his plan. They already knew. Of course they did. 

More importantly, some of them had begun doing what Carl had done with them, training others to be heroes. They had hundreds at their disposal.

On November 31st, they walked into the council chamber, just them. Niles had linked the representatives in, and they were moving to surround the building with their own teams.

It wasn’t pretty. The goons fought back against the teams, but they were out-matched. Markus was strategizing the whole time. 

It was all over in less than an hour. The council broadcast their resignation, and Markus was, as expected, elected to lead the interim council. Simon stood next to him the whole time.

North was also elected, which surprised her as much as the rest of them. She accepted. 

The work of slowly opening up to society began, with Connor, Josh, Leo and Niles at the forefront. They reached out to the president, as 800 and Nines, who accepted their request for a visit. 

She arrived at the council building and the seven of them met her. 

On December 8th, Niles finally got access to a phone, and a moment’s rest. He keyed in Gavin’s phone number and listened to it ring.

“Hello?” It was Hank who picked up.

“Hank, it's Niles.”

“Hey, kid. Gavin’s on patrol, I can patch you through his comm if you want.”

“Yes, thank you.”

A few moments later, Gavin’s voice came through the phone.

“Hello?”

“Gavin. It worked. It actually fucking  _ worked _ .”

“Of course it did. It was Carl’s plan, and it was you all executing it. How could it not work?” Gavin’s voice radiated with relief.

“We met the president two days ago. Don’t tell anyone, it was a secret meeting.”

“Was she as much of a bitch in person as she seems on TV?”

“More.”

Gavin laughed at that.

“How's our city?”

“She misses you.” Gavin replied without missing a beat. “A little kid at the precinct asked what happened to the superheroes. She had a little action figure of Markus. Did you know you had  _ action figures _ ?”

Niles laughed. “I did not. Not sure how I feel about that.”

They both fell silent.

“I don’t think I want to share my identity with the world,” Niles finally said. He’d been thinking about it the whole time. He wanted to keep his life private.

“You don’t? What about Carl’s plan?”

“Just Connor will get the point across.” He took another breath. “The president wants Josh to create a test for the power gene. There isn’t one, he looked, but she wants to have one anyways. You could  _ see _ the wheels turning in her head, she’s going to vilify us, crucify all of us for anything someone with powers does wrong.”

“Elijah doesn’t exactly help with that.”

“That's another thing...” Niles sighed, rubbing his face. “The council was helping him, Gavin. They wanted him to win. Now their supporters are flocking to him.”

Gavin was quiet for a few minutes. “How many?”

“At this point? Around 50.”

“Fuck. He could take over Detroit easily with that.”

“I’m coming back. Soon. I don’t know when exactly, but I am. I’m bringing some people back with me to help find Elijah. If he surfaces before I get back, call me.”

“Understood.” Niles heard Gavin take a deep breath. “I miss you, tincan.”

Niles laughed softly. “I miss you too.” He looked up at the guard assigned to him. “I’ve gotta go. I love you.”

“I love you too.” Niles ended the call reluctantly, pocketing his phone.


	15. Don't Break The Teenager

Gavin sat on the rooftop of the news tower, looking out over their city. It hadn’t been easy going back to just the three of them. Chris was talking about retiring again, and Tina tried to hide the fact that she wanted to retire too, or at least take a break.

Gavin would be on his own some time soon if Niles didn’t get his ass back here.

The hospital had called Hank again yesterday. They had a deadline. If Cole didn’t wake up by January 1st, they were pulling the plug. Some Christmas spirit.

Gavin needed to punch something. He wasn’t going to lose his best friend. 

He hadn’t killed anyone since November 7th. It's the longest he’s ever gone. He started handing over criminals to the DPD again, but specifically his own precinct, with the extra specification that Detectives Reed, Chen, or Miller were to handle the cases. 

Gavin heard Tina come over the comm.

“How are they?” 

“They overthrew the council that was keeping supers locked away. I don’t think they’ve stopped moving since they left.”

“That’s not healthy,” Chris chimed in.

“No, it's not,” Tina replied, her tone pointed at Gavin.

“I’m fine. At least I know he doesn’t hate my guts.”

“The day Niles Stern hates your guts will be the day pigs grow wings and fucking fly.” Tina replied.

“I thought the day Niles Stern loved me would be the day pigs grew wings and fucking flew.” Gavin retorted, remembering how he’d used the statement with Tina not even four months ago.

“Guys I got something, looks like a break-in. Trindade’s jewelers.”

“Meet you there.” Gavin replied.

When they arrived, they found two idiotic 20-somethings trying to get some quick cash, and a scared teen sitting in a car, one eye brown, one eye grey. Gavin let Tina and Chris handle the would-be robbers and sauntered over to the car.

“How old are you, kid?” He asked, leaning in the window. The poor kid looked like he’d just shit his pants.

“16,” he squeaked out.

“What’s your name?”

“Lazzo.”

“Okay, Lazzo, here’s what's gonna happen. You’re gonna go home, forget about those idiots, and tomorrow, you’re going to head to the Central DPD precinct, and you’re gonna find Detective Gavin Reed. You’re gonna do whatever he tells you, and you’re gonna straighten your life out before you get yourself killed. Got it?”

The kid nodded quickly. “Yes sir.”

“Good. Now get out of here, Lazzo.”

The kid hit the gas and drove off. And the next morning he was sitting, terrified, at Gavin’s desk. He got Lazzo enrolled in the internship program, and started explaining how evidence was kept and filed.

About halfway through the day the kid finally relaxed. He was smart, Gavin thought to himself, even if he was a babbling anxious mess.

The next couple of days, as Lazzo got more comfortable around the precinct, he was starting to fit in. He’d made friends with some of the other interns and was helping with coffee runs. He was a good kid. Gavin’s gut was right.

On day three some raging alcoholic came looking for Lazzo.

“Kid, you okay?” Gavin looked at Lazzo who’d frozen at the sound of the man’s voice. He looked like a deer in headlights. Gavin recognized that look. “Stay here, I’ll take care of it.”

He stood up and walked to intake, tapping Tina’s shoulder on the way, getting her to sit with Lazzo until he got back.

“Can I help you, sir?”

“I’d like to know where my fucking kid is!” God, this man’s breath stank of cheap beer.

“Lazzo is working right now, as you should know, you signed off on his forms.”

“I did no such fucking thing.” The man’s words were slurred. It took every ounce of strength not to smack this man.

“Yes, you did. I can show you your signature if you’d like.” 

The man grumbled, changing tacks. “I need my kid home, now.”

“Unfortunately, Lazzo is helping with a rather large case at the moment. I suggest you return home and wait.”

“Who the  _ hell _ do you think you are?” The man slurred, throwing a punch at Gavin. 

Gavin dodged out of the way and signalled for two beat cops who came over and cuffed the man.

“Assaulting an officer? That’s a big no no, my friend.” The beat cops dragged him to a holding cell.

Gavin turned and went back to his desk, grabbing his jacket. “C’mon, Lazzo. We’re getting out of here.”

“But-” He looked over his shoulder at the hall that led to the holding cells.

“But nothing. We’re taking an early lunch. C’mon.”

Lazzo didn’t argue further, grabbing his own jacket and following Gavin out the door. Gavin made his way to a diner across the street and sat in a booth with the kid across from him.

He ordered Lazzo a shake and a hamburger.

“I can’t-”

“My treat, kid.”

“I don’t need your pity.”

“It’s not pity,” Gavin replied. “Did you see the news at all on November 7th?”

Lazzo shook his head. “We don’t have TV.”

“Well, my crazy half-brother invaded the news building, held the entire building’s staff hostage, in exchange for me. I went in, he had two more hostages. The news anchor, and my boyfriend’s sister.” He took a sip of his Coke. “Who, I should mention, had been missing and presumed dead for over a year.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah, it was a mess,” he sighed, leaning back in the booth. “Family isn’t blood, it isn’t legal bullshit. Family is what you chose. Right now, half my family is 700 miles away, and it sucks, but I know they’re gonna come back and I’ll see them again.”

He ate a fry. “Do you understand?”

Lazzo nodded. “Yeah. I think so.”

“One more thing, a question, before we drop this completely.” Lazzo looked at Gavin, guarded. “Do you feel safe going home tonight? Just a yes or no. No more questions.”

“Honestly?”

“That would be preferred.”

“No. No I don’t.”

“Then you aren’t going home tonight.” He pulled out his phone, texting Tina to drop by the address they had on file for Lazzo and grab his shit. “Is there anything important Detective Chen should get from your room?”

Lazzo just stared at him for a moment before nodding. “Uh, yeah. There’s a picture of my mom, it's on my dresser. Listen, you don’t have to-”

“I know. But I am.”

He opened his text with Niles’ new number.

Tin Can

You

ur rubbing off on me

Tin Can

???

You 

we have an intern

hes staying at my place

this kids dads a dick

taking all my willpower not to go protector on him

Tin Can

Proud of you

Don’t kill the kids dad

You

haven’t killed anyone in over a month

Tin Can

Doubly proud

Gavin slid his phone back into his pocket. He and Lazzo finished their food in silence, and Gavin met Tina outside the precinct.

“Did you leave anything on your desk?”

“No?”

“You allergic to cats?”

“No?”

“Follow me.” Gavin made his way to the garage and to his bike.

“This is  _ yours _ ?” Lazzo stared at it. Gavin laughed.

“Yes it is.” He got on after putting the bag in the compartment on the back. He turned back and handed Lazzo the helmet. “Get on.”

Lazzo did as he was told. The kid was light as hell. Gavin started the bike and turned back to the kid. 

“You better hold on, I’m not dealing with the paperwork for injured interns.”

Lazzo grabbed Gavin’s jacket and held on tight.

When Gavin arrived at his apartment building, he locked up his bike and handed Lazzo his bag. 

Walking up the stairs to his apartment nearly winded the kid. Gavin made a mental note to get Jerry to give him a once over at some point.

He opened the door and picked Asshole up before he could escape. 

“Bad Asshole,” he said, walking in and dumping him on the kitchen counter. Peaches trotted over to Lazzo, sniffing his feet before meowing up at him.

“He wants you to pick him up,” Gavin said, dropping his phone on a charging station in the kitchen.   
  
  


Team

Self-Sacrificing Idiot

Gavin don’t break the teenager

dumber fucking gay

excuse

he will be FINE

actually

question

are the Jerries still at the house?

Married to the Self-Sacrificing Idiot

He should be

Why

dumber fucking gay

this kid is in serious need of a checkup

walking up the stairs to my apartment nearly killed him

Self-Sacrificing Idiot

Gavin don’t break the teenager

Why is the teenager in your apartment

dumb fucking gay

His dad’s a dick

dumber fucking gay

his dads a dick

thanks babe

dumb fucking gay

;)

The Lesbian

His dad’s got a serious rap sheet Gav

Like hitting an officer violated his parole serious

dumb fucking gay

Wait who’d he hit?

The Lesbian

Gavin

dumb fucking gay

Don’t suppose I get to hit him back?

dumber fucking gay

he didn’t actually make contact

why tf r yall answering texts

shouldnt you be running a secret organization or smthng

oh btw how would one go about testing if someone had powers?

Lesbian 2.0

Yeet something at them?

dumb fucking gay

[north no.png]

Married to the Self-Sacrificing Idiot

[north no.png]

Self-Sacrificing Idiot

[north no.png]

The Lesbian

[north yes.png]

That was pure lesbian solidarity

Don’t yeet shit at Lazzo

Gavin rolled his eyes, smiling fondly; as usual, his family was absolutely no help. He looked down as Asshole pawed at his leg. Gavin extended his hand, creating a simple wiggling line illusion, not thinking.

“What the fuck?!” Lazzo’s voice rang through the apartment loudly.

“Shit,” Gavin said, stopping the illusion and pointing at Lazzo. “You saw nothing.”

“What the fuck was that?”

“Illusion manipulation. Basically a giant laser pointer.”

“Holy shit.”

“You okay, kid?”

“Uh. Have you always been able to do that?”

“Sort of.” He set his phone back down. “My brother can sap abilities for himself. He sapped mine the minute they appeared. I got them back like, a month ago.”

“Do you know Nines? And PL? And 800? And rA9?”

“Yes, Lazzo, all people with powers know each other,” he said deadpan.

“Oh, right. Stupid question.”

“I do actually know those ones though. They’re some of the only supers I know.”

“You know more?”

“Yeah. Not all of them choose to risk their lives every night, though.”

“Where’d they go? The heroes.”

“That is a much more complicated question. One that only three people at the DPD know, and can ever know.”

“Try me.” Lazzo crossed his arms, challengingly.

Gavin shrugged, reaching under his kitchen sink and pulling out his extra Protector suit and laying it on the counter.

“Wait, you know Protector too?”

Gavin stared at Lazzo, his eyebrow raised.

“Ooooooh you  _ are  _ Protector. HOLY SHIT!”

“Keep your voice down kid, for fucks sake.”

“Sorry. Wait, how long have you been Protector-ing?”

“Since before you were born. I started 20 years ago. It's not something to go about lightly. I train just as much as I fight and patrol.”

Lazzo sat on the couch and Gavin leaned against the kitchen bar as he told Lazzo a, slightly censored, version of what he’d done the past 20 years. When he finished, Lazzo just looked at him in awe.

“So you were fighting before you even knew you had powers?”

“Powers mean jack shit unless you put the work into honing them, and using them to keep people safe.”

“Will you train me?”

“Kid, I-”

“Please? I hate not being able to control it.”

“Control what, exactly?”

“Sometimes when I freak out, start talking too fast, my voice just goes high and shit around me shatters, people fall over.”

“I can certainly try.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lazzo's my precious boy I love him so much anxious mess baby


	16. 2 Hours, Maybe Less

Over the next two weeks, a new routine evolves. 

Lazzo never goes home, instead crashing on Gavin’s couch. They go to a cafe under the apartment building for breakfast before getting on Gavin’s bike and riding in to work. 

Lazzo sorts paperwork and files, Gavin ropes him into talking through case theories, tossing an elastic band ball back and forth with both of them using their super strength. 

They wrap up whatever they were doing around 4, ordering food for pickup from a chinese place by the warehouse base. They start training and eat at 6 and continue to train until Chris and Tina arrive. Lazzo’s taken over for Hank, who sits by Cole’s bed every moment he can spare. 

Gavin doesn’t visit. Ever. 

Gavin ends up having to sit through a follow up interview about the shit at the news tower, and exactly why Elijah wanted him, and why he chose to save North instead of the news anchor. It's then that the DPD documents Niles and Gavin’s relationship. Gavin texts the group chat a heads up. He texts Niles directly. 

He calls Niles, and Niles calls him, and it's a new normal. And even though he doesn’t exactly  _ like _ it, he takes what he can get. 

On December 20th, Gavin goes to court, again, to get custody of another 16 year old. He doesn’t tell Lazzo until he arrives at the precinct with the signed court order from the judge placing Lazzo in Gavin’s custody. He drops it in front of the kid and Lazzo nearly cries, hugging Gavin tight and thanking him over and over.

Lazzo, Tina, and Chris are in the break room on Christmas Day, packing a few more things before they went on break, when the news feed crackles, and switches to a familiar face.

“Fuck,” Gavin said, calling Niles immediately.

“Gavin?”

“He just hacked channel 16.”

“North, shut up. I don’t care,  **_shut up_ ** and turn on Detroit 16.”

They stay on the call as Elijah speaks.

“Hello, Detroit. It's about time you learn the truth. There are more than 4 people in your city who have powers. Your pet heroes are only the tip of the iceberg. In the United States of America, there are a total of 8,541. And some of them wish to protect you, yes. But we-” the camera panned out as Elijah gestured to his compatriots. “Don’t. You who are not blessed with the next stage of evolution have no purpose on this planet but to serve. And it's time you learned that.”

The feed cut.

“Niles?”

“Two hours, maybe less. We’ll bring anything we can find.”

“We?”

“We aren’t letting him take our city.”

“See you soon.”

Gavin hung up. “We have two hours till they arrive. Tina, call Kara and Luther, get Alice to the warehouse and get them to grab Jerries and get Ralph somewhere secure.” Tina nodded, pulling out her phone.

“Chris, make sure Hank and Cole are somewhere protected. Elijah doesn’t like leaving shit unfinished, and update Fowler.” Chris left the room.

“Lazzo, get to base. Alice is 10, take care of her. If her powers manifest, try and remember what they are.” Gavin tossed him the keys to his bike. “Be safe, kid.”

Lazzo nodded and took off to the parking lot. 

Tina got off the phone. “Jerry’s bringing us spare suits, he’ll meet us outside in 5 with Kara and Luther. Another Jerry is dropping Alice off at base.”

Chris entered the room. “We got the go ahead from Fowler, he’s received an executive order from the  _ President _ to let us do what we need to do and not interfere.”

“Yeah, Niles mentioned they talked to her a couple weeks ago. Pickup out front in five.”

The two of them opened their phones, calling their partners and letting them know what was happening.

Gavin walked outside, waiting for one of the familiar cars to pull up. He did not expect a large armoured Jeep, but there it was. Gavin climbed in the back with Tina and Chris.

“Niles said to give you these.” Jerry said, tossing back a new set of comms. “We dropped one off with the rookie.”

“Thank you, Jerry.” Gavin stuck it in his ear, hearing chatter already. “Protector here. Roll call, who exactly do we have?” He began pulling on his suit.

The chatter ceased, Niles’ voice started the roll call. “Nines.”

“rA9.” Markus.

“PL.” Simon.

“Fritz.” Leo.

“T.” North.

“800.” Connor.

“AX,” Kara answered, for the other’s benefit rather than Gavin’s. She did have a code name after all.

“TR,” Luther added.

“Thorn,” an unfamiliar voice echoed.

“Sevens.” Another unfamiliar voice.

And the unfamiliar voices began rolling in. Gavin counted around 40 all together. All with code names.

“Overwatch,” rang a voice Gavin hadn’t heard in over a year. “Miss me, fucker?”

Gavin grinned wide. He didn’t know how, or why, but Cole was conscious. “How you feeling, Overwatch?”

“Ready to send Elijah fuckin' Kamski into a coma for seven years.”

Gavin looked at his phone; Niles had sent him a message. “We’re early.”

“Preliminary reports are saying the hack came from the area around the ruins of the shopping district. DPD is evacuating civilians. There are some calling into the DPD reporting their powers and some sort of serial number?” Lazzo’s voice rang over the comm.

“Send those my way, honey,” Thorn’s voice echoed. “They’re probably council numbers.”

“Sending.”

“We’re on our way to the shopping district now. What’s your ETA, Nines?” Gavin asked, fixing his mask to his face.

“20 minutes.”

“We’re 5.” Gavin responded, adding at the last minute, “Good to have you back.”  _ I missed you _ . 

“Good to be back.”  _ He missed me too _ .

They pulled up, and before the car had stopped, Gavin was out the door. Chris, Tina, Kara, Luther and Jerry stood behind him.

“We’re on site,” Gavin spoke into the comm.

“Your lead, Protector,” Markus responded. “This is your fight, we’re just here to back you up.”

“Priority one, locating Elijah and the rest of his people. Once we’ve found them, we survive until backup arrives.” He looked to his team. “Remember, Elijah has seen as many versions of this fight as he could possibly find. We need to find one he hasn’t. No decisions until the last minute. Don’t give them time to counteract you.”

The team nodded and they fanned out. Several more citizens of Detroit arrived on site, giving Jerry their council number, Thorn confirming they were safe for combat and receiving comms, then joining them. In fifteen minutes they’d acquired ten new allies.

Climbing over the residual walls, Gavin glanced up at the sky, keeping an eye out for Connor.

“Well well well. It's about time.” Elijah sat on a chunk of concrete, his followers behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we approach the beginning of the end


	17. Reunion

“Elijah, what the hell are you doing?”

“I told you  _ years _ ago I would win, and I was right. The only way to save this cesspool of a city is to control it.”

“No, it’s not.”

Elijah laughed. “Your words don’t match your actions, my dear brother. The only reason crime has even started to go down is because they  _ fear _ you. And when they hit strike three? You kill them. How many people have lost family to you? Loved ones?”

“I don’t kill. Not anymore.”

“Oh, so less than a month after you murdered prisoners who’d  _ surrendered, _ you’ve changed your tune? I don’t think so, brother.” He stood up on his rock, always needing to be the centre of attention, even now. “People don’t change.”

“We’ll see about that, won’t we?”

_ ‘Link established. Just our team, the others will have to rely on comms,’ _ Niles’ voice echoed through Gavin’s mind for the first time in over a month.

_ ‘I thought-’  _ Chris began a thought

_ ‘Carl transferred his telepathy to me, don’t ask how, I don’t know.’ _

Niles dropped out of the sky, landing next to Gavin.

“You’re surrounded, Elijah. Surender.” Markus stood on one of the walls to the left of Elijah’s gathering, Simon next to him. Behind the grouping, Gavin caught a flicker of red hair. North stood on the edge of the second floor of a partially collapsed building. On the right section of wall stood Leo, with someone he didn’t recognize.

_ ‘Nice to meet you, Gavin. I’m Josh,’ _ the man’s voice echoed in his head. Gavin nodded.

In the sky floated Connor, and two other figures he didn’t recognize.

“Elijah lives, or all the powers he’s stolen disappear with him. And be careful not to touch him,” Gavin said into the com.

And in an instant, it began.

North jumped off of the building floor, tossing small rocks she’d primed to explode into Elijah’s ranks, and they scattered.

_ ‘North, we don’t want to kill them,’  _ Niles chastised.

_ ‘We won’t have a choice-’ _

_ ‘No killing.'  _ Gavin said, backing up Niles. He felt Niles’ pride at his response ripple through his mind.

And they were moving. Gavin came face to face with someone who was shifting their shape, soon in their place was a lion. 

_ ‘Have fun with that particular challenge.’  _ Niles grinned at him as he ran past, shielding Kara from some thugs who still had their guns.

Gavin pulled out one of his tranquilizers. It was dosed for a human, though the lion had been a human, so it should work? Right? Probably. 

He ran at the lion, concentrating and forming two illusionary versions of himself. The lion ripped through one illusion, and missed Gavin and the second illusion. As he ran past, he injected the tranq into the side of the lion.

He fell on his face as someone ran into him, feeling his arm crack against the ground as he fell. Looking up, he was faced with someone almost as big as Luther. Gavin got up, and waited. The man lunged at him again, and this time Gavin dodged out of the way, reaching into a sheath sewn into the leather of his suit and drawing a knife. Each time the man lunged Gavin dodged, slicing when he could, punching when he couldn’t.

_ ‘Heads up.’  _ Connor’s voice.

Gavin dodged out of the way as Connor dropped Luther out of the sky. Gavin scrambled back, sitting against a portion of wall, looking down at his arm. It was either fractured or broken. 

“Shit,” he muttered under his breath, tightening a series of straps on his forearm. It would hold it in place for a while, at least until someone could look at it.

Gavin looked up as someone barreled towards him, appearing to be made of stone. Gavin braced for impact, but it never came. 

Instead, a blur rippled across his vision and the stone creature was on their back, out cold. The blur ran towards him and stopped.

“Cole, you son of a bitch.” Gavin smiled up at the familiar face of his best friend.

“Hey, you loved my mom.” Cole grinned back, offering Gavin a hand up. Gavin took it, quickly pulling his friend into a hug. 

“Dude, maybe save the cozy catchup for when the city  _ isn’t _ being torn apart by your brother?” Gavin looked up and saw Chris perched on the wall. “Not that I didn’t miss you, Cole. But priorities please?”

_ ‘He’s right,’ _ Niles' voice echoed in his head. Gavin rolled his eyes, the grin not leaving his face.

_ ‘We have a problem,’  _ Markus’ voice echoed.  _ ‘I recognize one of Elijah’s direct guards. The one with the white-blonde hair? She’s a former council member. She can change and remove memories. Be careful.’ _

Gavin nodded, scanning for Niles’ familiar shape and finding him close to the centre where Elijah was standing, watching, guarded by several people.

Gavin took off towards Niles, dodging under arms and out of the way of lasers. 

_ ‘If we survive this, I am making you watch Superman,’  _ he sent towards Niles. He heard Niles’ laughter echo in his head.

_ ‘When we survive this you can show me any movies you want. We’ll have time.’ _

Gavin reached Niles as the person he was fighting launched things at Niles’ head. Gavin ran up, bounding up several chunks of concrete and launching himself onto the person’s back, injecting another dosage of the tranquilizer into the person, before slipping off their back to help them to the ground without any injury. He stood up and felt Niles’ hand on his back, turning to look at him. 

Niles looked into Gavin’s colour swirling eyes for the first time in weeks and his heart ached. He watched them shift from grey to green as Gavin smiled at him. He heard his family using the link in his head, and the talking over the comms, but he tuned it all out because Gavin was in front of him.

Gavin was in his arms again. Gavin was  _ here _ . And Gavin didn’t hate him for disappearing. 

“Hey, tin can,” Gavin said, and  _ fuck  _ did Niles miss hearing his voice, not through a phone or a link, but here. Inches away from him.

“Hello, Detective Reed,” he replied softly, pulling him closer. 

_ ‘Niles behind-’  _

A flash of white hit him and knocked him off his feet. He pushed himself up, off the ground.

He looked around himself, people were fighting, and falling and.... flying? Where was he? Who were these people?  _ Who am I? _

He looked back to where he had been standing. A man in a mask and hood was fighting a woman with white hair. He watched, motionless, as the white haired woman fell, and the man turned back to him.

“Nines?” His voice was familiar, but he didn’t know why. “Niles, get up. It’s not naptime, tin can.”

“Gavin, the link’s down. Niles got hit.” Another vaguely familiar voice echoed in his ear. He raised his hand and touched his ear; there was some kind of device inside it. A communicator.

“Cover me,” was all the man said before approaching him, another man dropping from the sky to cover, kneeling in front of him. 

“Hey, do you know what’s going on?” He spoke softly.

“N-no... I don’t. But I should, shouldn’t I?”

The man nodded, he was handsome. He liked the way he looked, even if he couldn’t see half his face. His eyes were very green. He liked the colour.

“Fuck,” the man muttered under his breath, moving forward slowly, and he didn’t want to move back.

The man reached out and placed a hand on his cheek. He liked that. He liked that a lot. The man leaned forward, muttering under his breath, “I swear, if those fairy tale stories are right about this...” he trailed off. The man took a deep breath, moved his mask down, and kissed him.

Memories came flooding back.

A year ago, sitting on a rooftop bored out of his mind when he’d heard Protector’s voice for the first time.

8 months ago, when he heard Detective Gavin Reed’s voice for the first time.

September 1st, Gavin holding him for the first time.

September 2nd, nearly losing Gavin, Gavin saving his life, kissing Gavin for the first time. Meeting Asshole and Peaches.

September 3rd, waking up next to Gavin, and so much more.

November 7th, Gavin’s birthday, when they’d had to leave.

Carl’s death, Carl’s plan, calling Gavin for the first time in weeks, planning, meeting the bitch of a president, establishing a link with Gavin himself for the first time earlier that day.

Niles pulled Gavin closer, feeling the fight and the comms fade away again. He tangled a hand in Gavin’s hair as he worked to establish the link, hopping from familiar mind to familiar mind.

_ ‘Link established,’  _ he sent out, and Gavin pulled back.

“You ever do that again, I’ll kill you myself,” he said, hands still on Niles’ face.

“Feel free to try, Detective.” He grinned at Gavin, who grinned back.

“I thought I’d lost you.” Gavin’s eyes were a swirling mass of green.

“Never,” Niles replied, kissing him again.

_ ‘Guys, as much as I hate to break this up, super villain is gonna enter the fight soon. We need a plan.’ _ North’s voice ran through his head.

Gavin pulled away and they both looked over. Sure enough, Elijah was revving up to enter the fray.

_ ‘Ours,’ _ they both sent through the link, standing up.

The two of them walked towards Elijah, who met them halfway. One of the other heroes walked and stood behind them, touching both of their shoulders and focusing for a moment before saying, “Shield up. He shouldn’t be able to sap you.”

“Thank you,” Niles said, looking over at Gavin.

Another wordless plan flowed through them, each of them building off of the other’s ideas. 

“Well then, this is something I didn’t see. Congratulations, you two, you’ve successfully outsmarted Hank’s premonitions.” He held out his hands, lightning crackling between them. “Yet, you haven’t outsmarted  _ me _ .”

Elijah ran at them and they split, both using the link to orient themselves.

Gavin focused on Elijah, conjuring an illusion of their father, the illusion silent and weak, but it was enough to give Elijah pause. In that moment Niles punched Elijah in the gut, sending him back into Gavin who grabbed his shoulders and shoved him to the ground.

Pulling the last tranq dose from his stash he sent a punch into Elijah’s face, only for Elijah to roll out of the way.

Elijah stood and smirked. 

_ ‘Does he have to have such a punchable face?’ _ Niles’ voice echoed in Gavin’s head and he laughed.

_ ‘I was just thinking the same thing.’ _ Gavin watched Niles’ skin shift, and they both turned back to Elijah. Moving as one unit, their team landed, forming a tight circle. Elijah wasn’t getting away this time.

Niles and Gavin lunged at him, still shielded from his touch. He crackled electricity across his skin, bracing for their impact. Each of them grabbed an arm, pinning him to the floor, electricity dancing along the edge of the shield. Gavin pulled the cover off of the dose and shoved it into his brother’s arm.

“Eat shit, Elijah,” he said. 

“Fuck you,” Elijah spat back, before the tranq took effect. 

Gavin looked over his brother’s still body at Niles. The fighting around them had ended and someone had landed a white helicopter in an empty space. Luther was helping unload crates.

_ ‘What’re those?’  _ Gavin asked Niles.

_ ‘They’re power dampening restraints. The council had a lot of them. Thorn’s been holding them back until everyone was out, didn’t want them getting used against us,’ _ Niles replied, taking the one offered to him by someone handing them out to be placed on the various insurgents.

Niles pulled Elijah up, handing Gavin the restraints. They were slightly modified handcuffs. Gavin slipped his brother’s wrists into them and snapped them closed. Niles flicked a switch and they glowed a soft blue.

“We’re going to start going through files, asking for people who lost their powers unexpectedly to come forward. We’ll be keeping him at the mansion until he’s given them all back,” Markus said, as Gavin and Niles yanked Elijah up.

“And then what?” North asked from beside Markus. “The DPD isn’t equipped for this shit. No one is equipped to hold him.”

“So what? We kill him?” Gavin asked, looking over at her. 

“We have time to figure it out,” Simon said. “It’ll take months to track down everyone he stole from.”

Gavin and Niles walked away, towards the jeep. They shoved Elijah in the back seat. Jerry handed the keys to Gavin as he headed to the driver’s seat.

When they were in the sealed jeep, Niles pressed a button on the console and a set of restraints released from the car. Niles grabbed one and locked it to the joint of the power dampeners. 

Gavin pulled out his phone, texting the group chat.

Team

dumber fucking gay

can someone grab Lazzo?

preferably someone he knows

Tina or Chris

I do not want that kid in the car with Elijah

The Lesbian

Kara and Luther are heading over to pick up Alice anyways.

I’ll grab him then

And we’ll grab the cats.

Gavin put his phone down and looked at Niles. “Tina’s bringing the cats.”

Niles’ face lit up and Gavin smiled, grabbing his hand and kissing it. “They missed you, too.”

Niles moved over on the bench that was the front seat, slipping his arms around Gavin’s waist. Gavin turned the car on and drove back to the mansion, his left arm around Niles’ shoulders. 

Niles was back and he was here. He didn’t know for how long, but he was not going to let him out of his sight unless absolutely necessary.

They drove in a comfortable silence, and Elijah didn’t wake up. Gavin sent a silent prayer of thanks for Vanessa’s tranquilizers. 

He pulled around the back of the mansion, near the back library entrance, and parked. Gavin and Niles locked the car, waiting for the others, who slowly trickled in. 

Markus and Simon were first, bringing a few of the other heroes with them. They headed inside, Markus throwing Elijah over his shoulder on his way past.

Gavin headed inside, sitting on the stairs in the front entrance with Niles sitting next to him. Gavin leaned his head on Niles’ shoulder. Slowly their family came to join them, conversation picking up around him.

Markus leaned against the railing, Simon leaning against him. North sat behind Niles, and Connor beside her. Cole came and sat in front of Gavin, who leaned down and wrapped his arms around his best friend’s neck, resting his chin on his head. He learned that Niles had gone into Cole’s mind, searching for him, and within an hour, had managed to pull him back into consciousness.

Leo sat next to Gavin and he reached out a hand, squeezing his shoulder reassuringly. Chris leaned against the wall across from Markus and Simon. And soon, after putting the cats in Niles’ room to deal with later, Tina sat next to Chris, leaning her head against the wall. Lazzo stood at the other staircase, looking at them.

“Get over here, Lazzo,” Gavin said, and Cole patted the spot next to him on the stairs. Lazzo tentatively made his way over, sitting nervously. Niles reached out, putting the hand that wasn’t on Gavin’s back on Lazzo’s shoulder. Gavin watched Lazzo relax, and nod in response to something Niles had sent him. 

Gavin felt safe, looking around at his family, content. 


	18. An End and A Beginning

Eventually, the conversation turned to Carl’s plan, and what modifications they wanted to make.

“I had an idea about that, actually,” Niles spoke up. “I was thinking about turning the house into a base for the heroes of Detroit. We have the training spaces downstairs, and we have more than enough rooms, between the wings and the houses around the property.”

“That actually sounds pretty good,” Markus said, looking at them. “How many of you would stay behind to help with it?”

Connor and North both offered to stay behind, as did Leo. North also offered to take Niles’ place as the second person to go public with her powers. Carl’s plan was evolving. 

Connor and North would spend the next year or so recruiting not just from Detroit, but from across the country.

Markus and Simon were in the process of establishing a public base for the new council in Detroit, and they’d establish a secret one where they would live.

Leo was already three quarters of the way to getting certified as a teacher, so he would handle the education side of any powered kids that found their way to them.

Slowly, the group dissolved, Chris and Tina heading home; Connor, North, Leo, Simon, and Markus heading to the main kitchen. Cole grabbed Lazzo and threw his arm around the kids shoulder, declaring that the two of them were going to explore the “fucking massive house” and see what kind of snack food they had. Lazzo also wanted to check on Alice.

Niles and Gavin were left on the stairs, alone, for the first time in a month.

“We should feed the cats,” Gavin said, leaning against Niles.

“We should.” 

Gavin laughed out loud as he realized something. “Niles, it's Christmas. We just fought a super villain on  _ Christmas _ . That is like, a classic superhero- You know what. You wouldn’t get it.”

Niles shook his head and smiled at Gavin. “Merry Christmas, Gavin.”

“Merry Christmas, tin can.” Gavin smiled back, leaning over and kissing Niles gently. 

“Cats,” Niles reminded him as they pulled apart. 

“Cats,” Gavin echoed back, standing up and pulling Niles up with him. 

They walked up the stairs and down the familiar hallway. Gavin reached out and opened the door and Asshole was immediately running to Niles, who leaned down and picked up the loudly purring fluff ball. 

Gavin laughed, walking to the kitchen and pulling out the ramekins and cat food, measuring it out for them. He placed the ramekins on the ends of the kitchen island. Niles put the cat down, and Asshole happily began eating.

Gavin began taking off the layers of his suit, remembering his arm as he released the tightened buckles and it flared in pain.

“Hey, what happened?” Niles was there, concerned.

“Cracked my arm; could just be a bad bruise, but it's probably fractured. Meant to get Jerry to check it.”

“I love you, but how did you manage to go about this shit, vigilante-ing and working for the DPD, without basic medical training?”

“Uhhhh, good looks?”

Niles laughed, cradling Gavin’s face in his hands. “Silly man.” He kissed Gavin’s forehead, helping him out of the top layers before pulling a drawer open and pulling out a rigid arm cast.

“Let me take a look.” He took Gavin’s arm, looking it over, before sliding the arm cast on and doing up the velcro. “That should do for tonight, we’ll get Jerry to check tomorrow.”

The two of them walked into the bedroom, shutting the door behind them to keep the cats out.

Gavin undid as many of the clasps as he could before falling back on the bed, calling out a soft, pathetic, “Help.”

Niles rolled his eyes fondly, kneeling on the ground in front of Gavin, undoing more clasps and buckles, pulling off first the boots and then the pants, layer by layer and folding them in a pile.

Gavin sat up and pulled off his under armour, sniffing it and gagging. “Ugh that's gross.” Niles looked at Gavin with a stupid grin.

“What?”

“You still have the pendant.”

“Of course I do.” Gavin wrapped his arms around Niles’ neck. “Don’t know if you’ve noticed this, but I don’t let go easy.”

“No. No, you don’t.” Niles pressed his forehead to Gavin’s. “We need a shower.”

“A shower or a  _ shower _ ?”

“You’re injured. A shower.” 

“You’re no fun.” Gavin flopped back on the bed.

“Oh really?” Niles smirked and Gavin yelped as Niles yanked Gavin to the edge of the bed and threw him over his shoulder, carrying him to the bathroom, switching on the fan.

Niles carried Gavin into the shower, putting him down and turning on the water. Gavin glared playfully, leaning against the shower wall. He watched as Niles did the same, both of them completely wiped out. Gavin reached up and began washing Niles’ hair, and Niles did the same for him. 

After they were both clean they got out of the shower. Niles wrapped Gavin up in a towel, going to grab one for himself before Gavin interrupted. “The rule about me tearing shit off your chest still stands.”

Niles rolled his eyes, walking to the bedroom and sending their uniforms down the chute. Gavin followed him, collapsing on the bed in a pile of blankets and towels, topped with curly hair.

Niles smiled, looking at Gavin for a moment, memorizing the image. Then he joined Gavin in bed, and felt the familiar weight of Gavin’s head rest on his chest. Leaning down, he buried his face in his hair and wrapped his arms around him tight.

“How long until you leave?” Gavin asked softly. Niles pulled back, looking down at Gavin.

“I’m not going anywhere. Not without you. Not anymore.” Niles pressed a kiss to his forehead.

“Good.” Gavin closed his eyes and fell asleep, and not long after, Niles fell asleep as well.

Over the next few days, a press conference was called at the DPD. Gavin, Niles, and Lazzo stood with Chris, Tina, Hank, and Captain Fowler as Connor and North went public with their powers. Questions immediately turned to whether or not Niles had powers as well, which he denied with a carefully crafted statement, while reading the minds of the press to garner what excuse would actually land.

Markus and Simon also went public with their identities and powers, and they established a building in downtown Detroit as the public base for the Council of Powers. Carl had bought the building years ago, and it seemed fitting.

Chris drafted a statement that would be anonymously mailed to Channel 16, announcing his retirement as Hunter.

On December 31st, they held a New Years’ Eve party, just them. Family only.

Vanessa came and formally met everyone, Chris stayed home with his family, and Lazzo (with Gavin’s permission) got to try some of the fancy champagne everyone was drinking and immediately spit it out.

“How does that taste good? In what universe is that tasty?” He’d asked, trying to drown out the taste with the fresh pressed apple cider Simon had found at a farmers’ market.

Every few minutes, Gavin would send Niles another fantasy through the link Niles had kept open between them since December 26. It was slowly driving him insane.

They counted down to 2039 as a family. And Niles kissed Gavin when the countdown ended, signalling the beginning of the new year. 

And Gavin felt loved, and Niles felt wanted, and they both began 2039 happier than they’d started any other year.

At around 2am on January 1st, they finally managed to slip away, back to their room.

And on January 2nd when they finally re-emerged from their room, no one made a comment on the fact that Gavin was walking funny.

On January 3rd, they finally had to deal with Elijah. They’d tracked down four of the five people he’d stolen from, and they all arrived between 11 and 11:30 am. Gavin and Niles had brought Elijah up from the holding room he’d been kept in. Both of them were protected by the shield again. 

One by one, Elijah was forced to give back what he’d stolen, and three complete strangers left a little happier. When Gavin finally locked the door again with Niles behind him, Elijah spoke.

“You never told him what I said to you, did you?”

“Future’s flexible, Hank’s never seen it. I’m choosing to ignore it,” Gavin replied, turning to leave.

“I know you, Gavin. You haven’t stopped thinking about it.”

“Bye, Elijah.”

And he left, walking up the stairs and back into their apartment. 

“What was he talking about?” Niles asked when the door closed.

“The day he resurfaced, tried to kill you, and gave me back my powers, he said he’d looked into my future.” Gavin sat on the kitchen island.

“What did he say?” Niles stood in front of him, hands on Gavin’s hips.

“Are you sure you want to know? I don;t know how this future-vision shit works. If you know, it might not happen. Hell, me knowing might be enough for it to not happen.”

“I think I do want to. Know, that is.” 

Gavin took a deep breath, knowing Elijah was right. He remembered the exact words. 

“He said, ‘Oh, I’ve seen all of it. You’re going to marry that man. Can’t focus on the date, not yet, but you will.’”

Niles smiled, leaning his forehead against Gavin’s. “You didn’t want to tell me cause you thought it wouldn’t come true.”

“Can you blame me?” Gavin wrapped his arms around Niles’ neck. “I keep waiting for you to wake up one morning and realize how much I don’t deserve you.”

“Gavin, that will never happen.” Niles kissed him gently, holding him close.

They parted a few moments later, Gavin still not meeting his eyes.

“Gavin, I want to marry you. I have since April 23rd.” Gavin looked up, eyes wide. “I never would’ve thought I’d have even a sliver of a chance, but here we are. On September 2nd, when you told me you loved me back, I started to think that might actually happen. Every day since then has just solidified that idea.

“I am completely in love with you, Detective Reed. That's not changing. Ever.”

Gavin smiled so wide he thought his face might crack in two, and he kissed Niles.

Team

dumber fucking gay changed the chat name to “Family”

dumber fucking gay added Cole to the chat

dumber fucking gay added Leo to the chat

Lesbian 2.0

Aw thats cute.

Lesbian 2.0 changed Leo’s name to asshole

dumber fucking gay changed Cole’s name to stupid faster

Married to the Self-Sacrificial Idiot

Gavin I’m flattered

dumber fucking gay

shut up

please

dumb fucking gay

Is this the part where we bring up the fact that I agreed to marry you last night?

The Lesbian

Wait what

Himbo

Congrats

Self-Sacrificial Idiot

Ha! Simon you owe me 20 bucks

dumber fucking gay

will you guys ever stop betting on our love life?

Lesbian 2.0

You hurt my baby brother I’ll explode your head

Congrats tho

asshole

Cole you owe me 15$

stupid faster

Damn

Really thought yall would figure this shit out on new years

dumber fucking gay

cole i am offended you got in on this too

Thing 1

Ditto on the “hurt my brother I end your life”

But also, Niles, you hurt Gavin I end you

Married to the self-sacrificial Idiot

Glad to see the only person in this family with a normal response is still Chris

  
  


Family Friendly Family

Gavin added Niles

Gavin added Markus

Gavin added Simon

Gavin added Leo

Gavin added Connor

Gavin added Tina

Gavin added Chris

Gavin added Cole

Gavin added North

Gavin

Rule 1: no sex jokes

North

Why not?

Gavin added Lazzo

North changed Lazzo’s name to Baby Boy

Gavin changed Baby Boy’s name to Anxious Baby Boy

Anxious Baby Boy

I hate both of you

Gavin changed Niles’s name to tin can

Gavin changed Markus’s name to wolverine

Gavin changed Simon’s name to scarlet witch

Gavin changed Cole’s name to Flash

Gavin changed Leo’s name to sparky

Gavin changed Connor’s name to flyboy

flyboy

Niles I’m killing your fiancé

Gavin changed Tina’s name to badass bitch

Gavin changed North’s name to boom boom bitch

Gavin changed Chris’s name to retired

flyboy changed Gavin’s name to Projector

Projector

Babe I’m killing your brother

Anxious Baby Boy

omg 

Gavin’s a NERD

Wait when did they get engaged

tin can

He’s already made a list of super hero media I need to consume

Last night

Anxious Baby Boy

nice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we go, we've officially reached the end of the first story. The prequel focusing on Simon and Markus (and to some extent the other heroes) before this story is already up! I'm also working on the sequel set in the same universe, its not pouring out quite as fast but it is definitely pouring out fast. 
> 
> And of course this is 100% Emrys' fault (oswiniarty) for 1. Getting me into DBH and Detroit:Evolution, and 2. For encouraging this by editing as I wrote AND editing before I posted. This would not have been possible without them. 
> 
> I'm in LupoLight's Reed900 discord server (https://discord.gg/3K8hkXu) and everyone there has been incredibly supportive of this fic (if you aren't there already you should 100% come join us) and there are a couple of goodies I posted today in the "Art" tab of how I picture the vigilantes' suits. 
> 
> The playlist can be found on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2xQA2qjqaUveVZyOAJbfnd?si=epWh0qTGTMW4yGzuQ0GwEg)
> 
> I'm also on Tumblr @marvelmerlinao3, though I haven't been super active as of late.

**Author's Note:**

> If you wanna yell at me/talk bout this (or other) stories/ships I'm on twitter @marvelmerlin and on Tumblr @marvelmerlinao3


End file.
